Tag: murder

Man wanted for murder of Skagit County resident


Written by | The Bellingham Herald | February 26, 2013

By Caleb Hutton

See bottom of this post for update.

Police are searching for a second suspect in the apparent murder of a 69-year-old Anacortes resident, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 26.

The victim’s body was found Monday in a rural area north of Sedro-Woolley.

Skagit County deputies are alerting the public in neighboring counties to be on the lookout for this man: Ashlee Neil Smith, 32. As recently as 2008, Smith listed an address on Enterprise Road in the Ferndale area, according to court records. Before that, he lived in Bellingham.

Here’s the press release:

On February 25th 2013 at approximately 4:00 pm, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Skagit County Search and Rescue Human Remains Detection Dog, located a body, later identified as Dean Jackson. The body was located in a rural location north of Sedro Woolley.

Mr. Jackson had been reported missing on the 16th of February. Follow up investigation by Skagit County Detectives, members of the Washington State Crime Lab and Washington State Patrol Detectives at the victim’s residence led to the arrest of Ami Morin on February 19th, who is currently being held in the Skagit County Jail for Murder in the 2nd Degree and for multiple counts of Identity Theft 2nd.

A warrant has been issued for Ashlee Smith, a 32 year old white male for Murder in the 2nd Degree and Identity Theft 2nd degree. Smith is described as approximately 6’-4”, 190 lbs and has brown hair and brown eyes. If anyone has information regarding Ashlee Smith, please notify the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.

Don McDermott

Chief Criminal Deputy

The Skagit Valley Herald has more details in the case.

Update on Monday, March 4.

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Accomplice in Bellingham murder could be barred from massage work


Written by | The Bellingham Herald | October 19, 2012

By Caleb Hutton

Kara Jo Buchanan — a massage therapist convicted this year of giving a Bellingham man an alibi in the murder of his estranged wife — has been charged, in connection to the murder, with unprofessional conduct for a massage therapist.

Kara Buchanan

Buchanan, of Whidbey Island, spent a year in jail before pleading guilty to helping Keayn Dunya in the murder of Kriston Peterman-Dunya. She was released after testifying against Keayn. (For background, click here, here or here.)

Now Buchanan, who worked at a Langley spa at the time of the murder, could be legally barred from working as a massage therapist because of the conviction.

She’s been registered in Washington state since 1997, according to the state Department of Health (see the full charges here).

The unprofessional conduct case is listed as pending. It’s worth noting: She doesn’t currently have a massage license. Her last license expired in Oct. 2011.

It appears she got her original massage license in Minnesota. Her estranged husband was living in Minnesota as recently as last year, so she has connections to the state.

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