Washington Man Charged With Murder After Woman’s Body Found in Suitcase at Seattle Homeless Camp
Authorities in Washington State have charged a suspect with murdering a woman and concealing her body in a suitcase at a homeless encampment last month.
Shannon Reeder’s body was discovered inside a suitcase by authorities cleaning a homeless encampment at a Seattle intersection on September 27, according to a news statement from the Washington State Patrol earlier this month.
According to authorities, the 37-year-old went missing in November of last year and was residing in the area where her body was located.
Steven Thanh Nguyen, 57, was charged with murder in connection with Reeder’s death on Wednesday, Oct. 16, according to the Washington State Patrol, King County prosecutors, and charging documents obtained by FOX 13, The Seattle Times, and KOMO News.
According to KOMO News and The Seattle Times, prosecutors allege in the charge documents that Nguyen hit Reeder with an ax or machete. According to FOX 13, an autopsy report found that Reeder’s wounds seemed to have been caused by such equipment.
“The defendant appears to have murdered the victim with an axe (sic) or other sharp object, stashed her body inside a suitcase for weeks, and abandoned the victim’s remains to be bulldozed by a cleaning crew,” authorities said in court documents, according to KOMO News.
According to KOMO News and The Seattle Times, investigators discovered that Nguyen, who police believe lived in the camp, was known to walk about with those tools.
According to an arrest record quoted by KOMO News, a witness told police that a bad odor emanated from Nguyen’s residence approximately a month ago. According to the publication, the witness was there to exchange drugs with Nguyen, which he informed authorities was a routine practice for him.
Seattle police arrested Nguyen on October 3, according to KOMO News.
According to KOMO News and The Seattle Times, he allegedly informed authorities that he built the structure where Reeder’s body was found from the ground up approximately a year ago.
According to charging papers obtained by KOMO News and The Seattle Times, Nguyen allegedly informed police that he knew the victim and that Reeder was in his tent on the day of her death. He allegedly claimed that the two were smoking together when she overdosed on fentanyl, according to investigators.
Prior to the overdose, she allegedly fell on rocks, which caused her bruises, according to the charging documents, both sites stated.
According to the charge report reported by KOMO News and The Seattle Times, he claimed that he was afraid when she overdosed and did not want to call authorities, so he wrapped her body in plastic and shoved her in a suitcase, which he then placed inside a wooden platform that supported his bed.
Nguyen is scheduled to be arraigned on October 30, according to all three sites. Attorney and plea details were not immediately available.
Reference:
Who Killed Woman Found Inside Suitcase at Homeless Camp? Police Just Charged a Suspect