Benton County homicides spike to grim record. Do police see any trends?
Benton County is facing a record high of 14 homicides, with two months left in the year and few patterns tied to the surge.
An 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy who recently died in shootings on the same night in Kennewick are the 13th and 14th homicides in the county so far in 2022.
Benton County Coroner Office statistics only date back to 2008, and in that time there has never been this many homicides in a single year.
Last year was the next worst when 10 homicides were reported, said Coroner Bill Leach. And the deaths both years do not include vehicular homicides.
Franklin County has not seen the same spike this year. That county has had five homicide cases this year, including one officer-involved shooting. That’s the same number as in 2020.
Benton County homicides
Some of the investigations in Benton County this year included a Pasco boy’s body discovered in Finley, a teen accused of stabbing his neighbor, a husband suspected of shooting his wife and a 17-year-old ambushed during a marijuana deal.
In all, three victims died in gang-related shootings, another at a party with other gang members, and four are cases of domestic violence or at the hands of relatives.
Five have been women.
Suspects have been arrested in all but two deaths.
One death is considered unsolved with no suspect arrested or possibly even identified.
In another, a couple charged with murdering a young boy are suspected to have fled to Mexico.
In four cases, the suspected killers are waiting for psychological evaluations with Washington state mental health professionals.
About half of the homicides have happened in Kennewick. Four more were just outside the city limits.
“For us to have eight or even six in a year is a lot,” Kennewick police Commander Aaron Clem told the Tri-City Herald. “When they’re not interconnected, it makes it harder to do something proactive to stop that.”
Richland police have investigated two homicides, including the shooting of an Instacart shopper inside the Fred Meyer store in February.
What police are doing
Each of the homicides brings a unique set of circumstances, both Clem and Richland Commander Dave Neher told the Herald.
While there may not be much officers can do to stop a domestic violence attack, they can address gangs, drugs and other criminal activities that can end in a homicide.
Area police departments have been taking steps to address crime in Kennewick, Clem said. That includes a recent sweep where area detectives arrested 28 people on outstanding warrants.
Kennewick, Richland and Benton County detectives were involved in the operation for people linked to more than 50 crimes, according to a recent Kennewick police release.
Police have conducted these operations before when gang-related crimes see a spike, and it’s a tool they have available to address those kinds of crimes.
The local departments are continuing to work with federal agencies on targeted programs aimed at addressing drug trafficking and other issues that bring crime to the area.
While the number of deaths are up, the ones in Kennewick haven’t been random, Clem said.
One of the other tools police have available is having people report if they see suspicious activity in their neighborhood, Neher said.
“We don’t have a crystal ball,” Neher said. “We rely on our community members to share that information with us and allow us to investigate the matter.”
People can report suspicious activities to local police agencies through the non-emergency dispatch line at 509-628-0333.
14 homicides
February
▪ The discovery of 8-year-old Edgar Casian’s body in a Finley field is considered the first Benton County homicide of the year, though it’s unclear where and when he was killed.
The Pasco boy was last seen in September 2020. Pasco police had been asking since June 2021 for the public’s help in finding the boy after his two sisters turned up sick and starving in Mexico. Their mother starting looking to authorities for help in finding them when her ex-husband took custody of the children and disappeared.
Murder warrants have been issued for their father, Edgar Casian-Garcia, and his girlfriend, Araceli Medina, who are believed to have fled to Mexico.
▪ On Feb. 7, Aaron Christoper Kelly, 40, is accused of killing Justin Krumbah as he was filling Instacart orders in the aisle of the Richland Fred Meyer store. He then shot store employee Mark Hill three times before he walked out.
Krumbah died in the store. Hill survived.
After Kelly’s arrest 11 hours later, he was charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in Benton County Superior Court.
Legal proceedings have been on hold since Feb. 23, when defense attorneys asked to have his competency evaluated.
Eastern State Hospital found that he wasn’t competent to stand trial. A judge’s order allowed the hospital to force him to be medicated, and he is continuing to receive treatment for an unspecified schizophrenia disorder.
His next expected court date is in January.
April
▪ Ezekiel Sanchez, 25, was killed on April 20 when Ramon “Hondo” Candido, 27, allegedly opened fire on his car in Kennewick at the intersection of First Avenue and Dayton Street in an apparent gang-related shootout.
Candido has been charged with second-degree murder. His trial date is set for Dec. 5.
▪ Three days later, on April 23, Zale Underwood, 70, was mowing his lawn outside of his Gum Street home outside the city limits when he was approached by neighbor Hector Munguia, 18.
The teen stabbed him several times before running off, say court documents. He was later brought to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office by his mother.
Munguia was charged with premeditated first-degree murder, though the motive remains unclear. Legal proceedings against him have been put on hold while he is evaluated by Eastern State Hospital.
▪ Then three days later, Kathy Wilcox, 72, was allegedly shot and killed by her husband on April 26 before he set their Elm Street home on fire and fled the Tri-Cities, according to investigators.
Brian Wilcox, 68, was arrested in Del City, Okla.
He is charged with premeditated first-degree murder and first-degree arson. His trial is set for Nov. 14.
▪ Ricardo Rivera, 17, was shot on April 28 as he was sitting inside a car on Rhode Island Court in Kennewick. According to court records, Rivera was dropping off $25 worth of marijuana oil when he was killed.
Four teens were seen running from the area. Two brothers, Jacob and Jacquez Young have been arrested in connection with the killing. The other teens have not been charged.
Jacob Young, 18, is charged in Superior Court with first-degree murder. Jacquez Young, 15, is charged with first-degree murder in Juvenile Court. Prosecutors are asking to move his case to adult court.
May
▪ Well-known musician Clayton “Clay” Wick, 76, was savagely attacked inside of his Kennewick home on May 4, say investigators.
Christopher Calvert, 44, is charged with killing the man in revenge for getting fired by Wick’s friend in Oregon.
Investigators said Wick was beaten, stabbed and cut before being left to die. His killer placed cardboard over pools of blood to avoid stepping in it before grabbed Wick’s wallet and taking stuff out of his garage and stealing his Honda CRV.
Calvert, with the help of federal agents, was arrested in Skamania County, and is charged with premeditated first-degree murder, car theft and possession of stolen property. His trial is Nov. 7.
July
▪ Jordan Patrick Taylor, 30, of Pasco, was killed on July 15 after he allegedly opened fire on members of a rival motorcycle gang on Clearwater Avenue. Suspects have been identified but no one is charged in his death.
▪ Bethany Jean Lowe, 47, was stabbed to death July 27 by her son, David Lowe, after he broke into her Richland home, say court documents. He also allegedly stabbed her longtime boyfriend Andy Davis, leaving him seriously injured.
Lowe told investigators he believed his mother and her boyfriend had killed his young daughter, who is not dead.
Lowe is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and burglary, but was found to be not competent to stand trial. He is currently being treated at Eastern State Hospital.
August
▪ Susan Martin, 66, was allegedly stabbed and strangled by her husband, Leroy N. Martin, 73, in their Seventh Avenue home in Kennewick on Aug. 10. He believed his wife had stolen a valuable coin and having an affair.
He reportedly suffers from dementia, according to court documents.
Leroy Martin is charged with second-degree murder, and is currently being evaluated to determine if he is competent for trial.
September
▪ Fernando Pulido, 30, died after he was found shot in the chest in a Fourth Avenue home on Sept. 22. Kennewick police are investigating the death as a homicide. No one has been arrested yet.
▪ Brandy Ebanez, 34, of Kennewick, was found on Sept. 27 wrapped up in black plastic sheeting and a bed comforter with landscaping-style rocks tied to her ankles in the Columbia River near the cable bridge.
Neighbors last reported seeing her about eight days before her body was discovered.
Kennewick police have said that a suspect is in the Multnomah County jail, but have not confirmed that the suspect is her boyfriend Richard Jacobson, 34, who is being held in that jail.
October
▪ Jatzivy Sarabia, 18, was shot and killed during a reported ambush while riding in a Jeep with some friends just before midnight on Oct. 15.
Police say Isaiah Combs, 19, opened fire on the Jeep and the women inside after he promised to lead them to a party.
Combs had threatened one of the women the day before during a visit to Spokane.
▪ Elias Salazar, 17, was shot in the head while hanging out with a group of gang members on North Volland Street in Kennewick, according to investigators.
He was rushed to Kadlec Regional Medical Center and then flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He died on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Talen Trumble, 14, is charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the shooting.
The younger teen said they were drinking while he was holding Salazar’s gun. He said he accidentally fired it while he was laughing.
This story was originally published October 23, 2022 at 10:48 PM.