Homicide Investigation Continues Near Carnation Today

The investigation into the Christmas Eve deaths of four adults and two children that occurred at will continue all of today and into tomorrow.

Sheriff's detectives and the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab will be at the residence in the 1800 block of 346th Ave NE. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will assist with the victims. In addition, personnel from King County Search & Rescue will conduct a sweep of the property looking for additional evidence.

The victims were the homeowners, ages 60 and 61; their daughter and son-in-law, both 32 years old, and the younger couple’s six year-old daughter and three year-old son.

The Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call at 7:58 AM yesterday (December 26th) from a co-worker of one of the victims. The co-worker found the bodies of the deceased after she had gone to the victim’s house to see why she hadn’t shown up for work at the Carnation post office.

While investigators were at the crime scene, a man and a woman arrived shortly before 11:00 AM. Detectives began talking with them to see of they had any information about the deaths, and eventually developed probable cause for the arrest of both.

The two arrested are both 29 years old, and are boy-friend/girlfriend. The female is the daughter of two of the victims; the sister and sister-in-law of two of the other victims; and the aunt of the two children killed. The suspects apparently were living in a trailer on the property.

Detectives believe the shooting was as a result of a long-standing dispute over several issues between the daughter and her parents.

The Prosecutor’s Office has told the Sheriff's Office they plan to file charges against both on Friday, December 28th.