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The Seattle-area landlord accused of murdering a couple renting a room from him dismembered and disposed of their bodies on a local beach “likely with the aid of others,” according to charging documents filed Monday.
Michael Lee Dudley, 62, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder on Monday in connection to the deaths and dismemberment of Jessica Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27. The couple had been renting a room from Dudley at his home in Burien, a suburb 15 miles south of Seattle.
Teenagers at Alki Beach in West Seattle found a suitcase with a black garbage bag inside while filming a TikTok video on June 19. They called 911 after smelling a foul odor, but, due to staffing shortages, Seattle Police did not respond until hours later, when the suitcase and bag had been washed out to sea. Officers recovered the black suitcase and black garbage bag with what appeared to be a human torso inside and found another duffel bag with a white garbage bag filled with more remains.
SEATTLE-AREA LANDLORD CHARGED WITH MURDER AFTER REMAINS OF COUPLE FOUND INSIDE SUITCASE: AUTHORITIES
The couple was likely beaten and shot before they were dismembered.
“This process would have taken a lot of time and effort and his willingness to take these extreme steps demonstrates the threat he poses to the community,” according to an 11-page probable cause document filed in King County state.
King County Medical Examiner Dr. Kathy Taylor, who examined the remains and an autopsy report, told the Seattle Police Department she believed “there were possibly multiple people involved in the homicide and/or dismemberment based on how the victims had been dismembered.” Taylor explained, “the cuts made to the victims during the dismemberment were disorganized and appeared to have been done in different manners with different cutting apparatuses.”
Though the precise motive is not known, evidence suggests Dudley was “angry with the victims for not paying rent and for bringing potential criminal activity into the Ambaum home.” Family members told investigators that the couple had been beaten by a group of “Samoan men” at Dudley’s home in the days before their death and likely ran a scheme involving fraudulent COVID-19 stimulus checks.
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Neighbors called the Burien Police Department 10 days before the remains were found to report hearing screaming and gunshots next door, KING-TV reported. Upon obtaining a search warrant, officers found bullet holes and blood inside one of the rooms.
No additional suspects have been announced. Dudley’s bail is set at $5 million.
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