PASCO -- Pasco police are investigating the first homicide of 2009 in the Tri-Cities after a Seattle man died following a fight at a New Year's Eve party.
Authorities, however, say the death of Christopher E. Craig has not yet been classified as a crime, saying they are in the early stages of their investigation.
Few details have been released by Pasco police about the 26-year-old's death except that he died several hours after he received what a police spokesman described as "cut wounds" during a struggle with two others at a Pasco party.
An autopsy is expected to be performed today.
Craig died late New Year's Day at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco after having gone there around 3:30 a.m. for treatment for his wounds, Capt. Jim Raymond said.
The Seattle man and two others involved in the fight apparently went to three different hospitals in the Tri-Cities around the same time to be treated for their injuries, Raymond said. It was not known how each person got to the hospitals.
Names of the two others involved in the fight were not released. Their conditions also were not available.
Raymond said the two are not being named as suspects and are not in custody.
Officers determined the three had been at a New Year's Eve house party in the 200 block of Bonneville Street, Raymond said.
Sometime during the gathering, a fight started between them and they all received cut wounds that required medical treatment, he said.
Detectives are investigating Craig's death and are attempting to piece together the circumstances surrounding the fight, Raymond said. He said police would not release any other information about the fight, including how all three were injured.
Pasco police are asking that anyone who saw the struggle or were at the house party early New Year's Day to call detectives at 545-3482 or 545-3421.
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