Updated
Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 10
Costco Worker Pleads Not Guilty to 2nd-Degree Murder in July 31 Co-Worker Hit-and-Run
Updated
Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 10

Costco Worker Pleads Not Guilty to 2nd-Degree Murder in July 31 Co-Worker Hit-and-Run

3 articles · Updated · The Seattle Times · Aug 10

Summary

  • A 22-year-old Renton man entered a not-guilty plea Thursday to second-degree murder after prosecutors accused him of intentionally striking a 20-year-old Costco co-worker riding a motorcycle on July 31.
  • Court records say the crash followed a jealous confrontation at Costco’s Issaquah campus: after seeing the victim hugging a female co-worker, he texted friends “My blood is boiling,” sped past the pair, then waited about 10 minutes and tailed the motorcycle.
  • Police say the victim was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene near Interstate 90; the driver told investigators he was traveling about 40 mph, hit the bike from the passenger side, panicked and fled.
  • About an hour later, the suspect returned with his father, spoke with officers and was arrested; a judge set bail at $2 million, ordered no contact with the female co-worker and scheduled a pretrial hearing for Aug. 27.

Insights

How did an unrequited workplace crush escalate into a fatal 40-mph hit-and-run in just ten minutes?
Will a killer's claim that he only meant to spook his rival hold up against chilling surveillance video?
Did a deadly workplace obsession really stem from a single hug, or were there missed warning signs?