Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Jackie Marie Lawyer was a longtime fixture in Winlock’s Frost Road Trailer Park before she was fatally shot there last week, allegedly by a neighbor as they argued about “snitching”.

Richard J. F. Roth

Lawyer, 64, was the onsite manager, collecting rents and doing maintenance more than a dozen years ago when the park was temporarily put into the hands of Winlock accountant Don Lynch.

Lynch was stunned to hear the news of the resident he described as a single woman who lived there for quite some time before he took over.

“She worked hard for me, she was loyal as an employee; she could be a little fiery sometimes,” Lynch said after he learned of Lawyer’s death.

The trailer park, just east of Interstate 5 and north of Toledo, was put into receivership in the spring of 1997 related to the divorce of its owners, according to Lynch.

It was a difficult place to manage, he said.

Sheriff’s deputies were in there almost daily, he said, but with several evictions over time, he was able to reduce that to weekly visits, he said.

“There was a tremendous amount of things going on there, and Jackie was a tremendous help to me in getting it straightened up,” he said.

Lawyer died the morning of Nov. 4, of a penetrating gunshot wound to her chin and neck, according to the Lewis County Coroner’s Office. Lewis County sheriff’s deputies called just before 11 a.m. say she was dead when they arrived.

Detectives were told by 65-year-old Richard Joseph Frank Roth that Lawyer approached him as he was doing his laundry in the recreation building, repeatedly calling him a snitch for telling the park manager she was dumping ashes from her wood stove in the woods across the street.

Roth reportedly told detectives other tenants in the park had been having problems with Lawyer as well. He alleged she snuck around at night getting into people’s stuff and even stealing, dressed like a “Ninja”, according to charging documents.

Roth told detective Bruce Kimsey that after the incident in the recreation building, he took his laundry soap back to his van and put his .22 revolver in his back pocket. When he was confronted by Lawyer again, he pulled it out, pointed it at her neck and squeezed the trigger from about three feet away, according to charging documents.

The 65-year-old also told the detective it was all kind of blurry; she was holding a coffee cup and he did not know at what point he retrieved the weapon.

Roth pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on Wednesday.

The crime carries a possible penalty of life in prison. A trial date was set for the week of Jan. 3.

A cousin of Roth’s was in Lewis County Superior Court for his appearance, but like a trio of women who came to support him the week before, declined to speak on the record about him.

Roth lived alone in a home-made wood trailer, moving to the Frost Road park a few months ago, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

The social security recipient was living in Castle Rock – described by defense attorney Bob Schroeter as “Baja Lewis County” for about three years before that.

He also has an address in Klamath Falls in southern Oregon; Schroeter said he lived just across the border in Tule Lake, Calif. His assets include a van and a 1960 motor home.

Roth’s background includes a conviction in 1969 for escape out of Sacramento, Calif. and for being an “ex-con with a gun” in 1982, according to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office. Attorneys involved in the current case said they did not know what the underlying felony conviction was for.

Roth was brought to both his court appearances in a wheelchair; a neighbor has said he walks with a cane.

He was recently hospitalized for a heart procedure, and takes medication for his heart, his thyroid and his cholesterol, according to authorities.

His court-appointed attorney Mike Underwood on Wednesday said he’s got some “health issues”.

“He’s 65 years old, he has trouble getting around,” Underwood said.
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Jackie Lawyer was 64, not 66 as the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office initially reported.

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For more details and photos from the Nov. 4 events in Winlock, scroll down to read “Woman, 66, fatally shot in Winlock trailer park, neighbor arrested” or click here

Chief Grant Wiltbank heads to a fire truck this morning after an electrical fire at the Toledo Senior Center.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

TOLEDO – The senior center in Toledo will be closed for at least a few days after a fire there this morning.

Nobody was hurt and the damage was minimal but 15 to 20 people had to evacuate the building, according to Lewis County Fire District 2 Lt. Tracy Summers.

“It could have been a lot worse,” Summers said. “Wires in the electrical panel for some reason shorted out.”

About 18 personnel from four fire districts and Lewis County Medic 1 responded to the 9:09 a.m. call.

A computer class was being held upstairs and volunteers had just about finished unloading a supply of bread to give away to seniors.

“We all just exited the building, we didn’t stay inside,” said John Bruenn who was helping with the bread. “It was pop, pop, pop, pop, then fire was coming out the inside wall.”

The building, which is owned by Lewis County, sits on Coal and Second streets, next door to the fire station.

Firefighters used a dry chemical extinguisher on the flames, but it wasn’t going to stop burning until the power was shut off, either by PUD or a fuse tripping outside, District 2 Chief Grant Wiltbank said. It took 15 minutes  for the fuse to kick off the electricity, he said.

“As soon as it blew, we went in, opened up the wall and finished it off,” Wiltbank said. “We didn’t have to use any water at all, fortunately.”

Fire extinguisher powder coated the floor, but the smoke had been chased out by the time fire investigator Adam Myer arrived.

The walls will have to be cleaned and possibly repainted, the chief said.

The building is insured.

Mike Strozyk, director of Lewis County central services, said the building will be out of service for awhile. He estimated a few days.

It will depend on Lewis County PUD and getting a contractor in here to rewire,” Strozyk said.

Summers said it was just four or five years ago when the senior center had a fire out the back door by the gas meter.

Wiltbank offered praise for the volunteers who, on a holiday, kept the incident contained.

“The crews did a very good job of confining the problem to the area of the electrical box till the power went out, so I’m really pleased with that,” Wiltbank said.

Lunch for seniors, normally served on Wednesdays and Fridays, will be cancelled tomorrow, as will be an exercise class, according to senior center site leader Diana Haug.

For information about when services will resume, seniors can call the Twin Cities Senior Center at 360-748-0061.

Mike Strozyk, Adam Myer and Doug Carey, facilities manager for Lewis County, examine the burnt panel box inside the Toledo Senior Center this morning.

Jack Arnold Silverthorne, 20, sits in Lewis County Superior Court as he is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of 16-year-old Austin King.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The 20-year-old accused of killing Morton teenager Austin King is one of the two “buddies” he went off to watch television with the last time Austin’s mother saw her son alive.

Jack Arnold Silverthorne was charged today with first-degree murder in Lewis County Superior Court in Chehalis.

Austin died from blunt force to his head, his skull was cracked above his right ear, Senior Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher said today. He said the teen was struck with “something very hard”.

Authorities believe Silverthorne took Austin up into the woods after a birthday party at Austin’s family home the night of June 22, and his motive was related to an attraction to a girl, the mother of Austin’s child, according to Meagher and charging documents.

The 16-year-old vanished from his family’s home in the Tilton River Mobile Home Park early on June 23 and was the subject of a month-long search headed up by volunteers. His body was found some 10 miles away off a logging road outside Morton.

Silverthorne was shackled at his waist and ankles as he he faced a judge this afternoon.

The 6-foot-2  young man answered “yes sir” when he was addressed by Judge James Lawler.

Silverthorne is unemployed and receives public assistance of about $500 a month, defense attorney Bob Schroeter told the judge. He has no criminal history in Washington, Schroeter said.

First -degree murder is a class A felony with a possible penalty of life in prison and a $50,000 fine. Its elements include intent and premeditation.

Bail was set at $2 million, as requested by the prosecutor’s office.

Meagher said they feared the suspect was about to flee the country.

Outside the courtroom, Schroeter described his client as a really nice young man with very good family support. The attorney indicated he was skeptical of the investigation.

“There were numerous people at that party,” Schroeter said. “The fact it took them so long to focus on anybody is a concern.”

Charging documents filed today in the case describe several reasons sheriff’s detectives believe Silverthorne is responsible for Austin’s death. The following are some of the findings alleged in the documents:

Silverthorne was staying in the trailer park with his grandmother at the time of Austin’s disappearance. He currently is living with his mother in Renton.

The day after Austin’s body was found, Lewis County sheriff’s detectives got a call from a neighbor in Renton who alerted them to Silverthorne’s recently broken hand.

Two different doctor’s described the injury as a “boxer’s break” consistent with striking something with a closed fist. Silverthorne said it happened when he fell by the river, but detectives noted inconsistent statements as to when it occurred.

Cigarette butts on the road above where Austin’s body was found had DNA belonging to both Silverthorne and Austin – and a third unidentified person.

The body was found down an embankment, some 42 feet off the unmaintained Forest Service road.

Detectives got information from both Austin’s girlfriend whom he had been talking with that night on the phone, and from the third person watching television with Austin that night about statements made by Silverthorne about wanting to take a drive up into the mountains.

Detectives discovered a gap in any phone calls or texts made from Silverthorne’s cell phone that night, and found a Facebook friend that Silverthorne allegedly told he would like to “beat” the child’s father.

Silverthorne told detectives he last was up in the woods on June 17, alone.

The other “buddy” that went off to the teen’s detached bedroom in a “shack” outside the family mobile home that night said he went home at 12:15 a.m.

Roger Hughes told detectives the three of them smoked cigarettes, rearranged Austin’s furniture and listened to music. But Hughes said he wasn’t feeling good – he had been drinking vodka and orange juice – so he went home, threw up and went to bed. His grandparents confirmed the time, according to charging documents.

Silverthorne told detectives he left Austin “seconds” after Hughes did and went home. Silverthorne’s grandmother could not confirm that, documents say.

Austin was one of four children who lived with his mother, Christy Harper. His father Shaun King lives in Chehalis. He has numerous brothers and sisters, according to family members.

His mother has described the 5-foot-8 160-pound boy as a teen who liked to play video games, listen to music and watch movies. She said he was being home-schooled.

More than 200 people gathered at Gust Backstrom Park in Morton for a vigil in July, three days after his body was discovered, including a plain-clothed detective who talked with Silverthorne there.

Silverthorne was arrested yesterday without incident at his home in Renton.

Sheriff’s detectives are still waiting for the DNA results from under Austin’s fingernails.

Centralia attorney J.P. Enbody was appointed to represent Silverthorne. His arraignment is scheduled for next week.

A collection of photographs of Austin King is displayed on a picnic table in the park in Morton during a vigil in July.

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Read more about the case by scrolling down to “Breaking news: Renton man, 20, arrested for murder in death of Austin King” or by clicking here