Washington State Mysteries

Suspected or convicted serial killers in Washington Compiled by SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF | February 19, 2003 What is a serial killer? Even the nation's leading experts don't agree. The most general definition is based on numbers and patterns: Two or more unrelated victims in distinctly separate incidents. The Northwest has a notorious history of these "prototype" killers -- among them are Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, who are synonymous with the term "serial killer." Yet other, less infamous killers have claimed scores of lives across the state. Some have been convicted of only one or two murders, but are suspected of many more. Four remain only suspects, pending trial. Following general definitions provided by the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, criminal profilers and other experts, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer compiled this list of the state's modern-day serial killers. It's impossible to know if the list is comprehensi

Arrest made in 1986 rape, murder of 12-year-old girl in Washington State By DAVID BOROFF JUN 21, 2018 | 2:50 PM   Arrest made in 1986 rape, murder of 12-year-old girl in Washington State Michella Welch, 12, was found dead in a Tacoma park in 1986. (Handout) Investigators in Washington State have arrested a 66-year-old man in connection with the 1986 rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl. Gary Hartman was booked into Pierce County Jail on Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of Michella Welch. ADVERTISEMENT Tacoma police did not elaborate on the arrest, but scheduled a press conference for Friday. “This is completely from left field for us, I mean like way left field,” a neighbor of Hartman's told the News-Tribune. “I don’t know the gentleman real well. We waved to each other constantly. ... He had four or five collectible cars that he and his wife would always drive around. Very cordial and very sweet older people. The neighbors thought he was great