By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Wenatchee World is reporting a Tenino man arrested last month after he allegedly held a pair of hunters at gunpoint on his property in Okanogan County is facing charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault, robbery, harassment and theft of a firearm.
Read news reporter K.C. Mehaffey’s story 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.
The front of the Pontiac Sunfire. / Courtesy photo Washington State Patrol.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The state patrol estimates a 45-year-old woman was driving more than 100 mph when she ran into a utility pole and died overnight in Rochester.
Troopers called at midnight to 183rd Street Southwest near Empire Street reported that Carla A. Whitaker, of Rochester, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Whitaker was traveling westbound when her 2002 Pontiac Sunfire left the road for unknown reasons, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The collision so severe, the vehicle broke into two pieces which came to rest more than 150 feet apart, according to the patrol.
There was no indication she was wearing a seatbelt and it’s not known if drugs or alcohol were involved, according to the investigating trooper.
The rear of the Pontiac Sunfire. / Courtesy photo Washington State Patrol.
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
BEAR ON THE RUN
• There have been a couple of sightings recently of a bear in Chehalis but so far it hasn’t caused any trouble, according to Chehalis police. Detective Sgt. Rick McNamara said they have contacted personnel from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and “they’re aware of it.” Police were called just after 5 p.m. on Friday when somebody said they saw a large black bear running toward a strip mall and shortly after that, somebody spotted it near the senior center on North National Avenue.
VEHICLE VERSUS POLE
• Centralia police arrested a 57-year-old man for driving under the influence after he reportedly crashed into a telephone pole yesterday morning at East Walnut and South Gold streets. Allan L. Rounsley of Centralia was also cited for hit and run because he left the scene, according to the Centralia Police Department.
HOSPITAL HOOLIGANS
• Police were called Monday night to the emergency room at Providence Centralia Hospital after a patient reportedly damaged a wheelchair in anger for not being seen quickly enough. Officers attempted to locate the man, but were unsuccessful, according to the Centralia Police Department. However, police say they know who their suspect is and will be referring reports to the city prosecutor for a charge of malicious mischief.
• On Saturday night, an intoxicated patient reportedly assaulted two staff members of the emergency room at Providence Centralia Hospital, according to Centralia police.
ASSAULT IN NAPAVINE
• A 21-year-old Napavine man was arrested for second-degree assault early Saturday morning after police were called to his home. Ray D. Teafatiller and his wife had been out with friends, some of whom were present when a dispute erupted at the couple’s home on West Washington, according to the Napavine Police Department. At one point, he reportedly took her to the floor and obstructed her breathing, according to officer Silas Elwood. Teafatiller was booked into the Lewis County Jail after the 12:30 a.m. call.
NIGHT TIME VISITORS BASH ON DOOR, PICKUP TRUCK
• A 73-year-old Winlock area woman called 911 after somebody banging on her front door after dark did so with such force it broke the lock. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reported yesterday a deputy who arrived after the call at 10:40 p.m. on Monday on the 100 block of Pleasant Valley Road found a window smashed out of her pickup truck parked outside. At 12:43 a.m., she called again after she saw a flashlight at the door, yelled and then heard people outside. No arrests were made.
SEINOR CENTER THEFT
• A woman at the Packwood Senior Center turned her back on a teenager who came in asking for help with gas money to get home to Bellingham and then discovered he had helped himself to an envelope on her desk with $81 in deposits, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It happened about 1:40 p.m. on Monday, according to the sheriff’s office. A deputy made a traffic stop a short time later and arrested Michael J.A. Nunez of Aberdeen for third-degree theft.
MORE THEFTS
• Chehalis police were called just after 7 p.m. on Sunday to an apartment complex on the 200 block of Chehalis Avenue about theft of about $2,000 from the manger.
• A resident in the process of moving out from an apartment on the 500 block of Ash Street called Centralia police Monday evening after discovering a surround-sound system and DVD player were stolen.
• Chehalis police were called early Monday morning about a back door kicked in at a building on Market Boulevard.
• The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public’s help to find a long blond-haired man with a yellow Labrador who made off with a basket of tips and candy from an Onalaska coffee stand on Friday. A deputy called to the Carlisle Avenue establishment reported the man was wearing a blue jean jacket and blue jeans
THROWING ROCKS, EGGS AND BREAKING WINDOWS
• Centralia police were called on Saturday to the 2800 block of Russell Road where somebody had thrown a rock through a car window and hung a pumpkin on their front door. Minutes later, an officer was called to a report of a rock being thrown through the window of a house on the 100 block of Jalyn Street.
• Chehalis police were called Sunday about a window being broken out of a car on Washington Avenue.
• Chehalis police were called to the drug and alcohol treatment center on the 500 block of Southeast Washington on Friday about somebody from the apartment complex across the street throwing eggs at employees.
CAR PROWLS
• Police responded to a vehicle prowl Tuesday morning on the 500 block of West Seventh Street in Centralia.
• Chehalis police were called early Monday about a vehicle prowl on Southeast Washington Avenue.
• Centralia police were called to the 1200 block of Alder Street Sunday morning and took a report of the theft of an estimated $6,000 of camera equipment and a GPS device from a vehicle.
• Numerous CDs were reported missing after a vehicle prowl reported Sunday on the 600 block of Jefferson Street in Centralia.
WRECK IN EAST COUNTY
• Deputies were called early Saturday morning to the scene of a wreck on Skate Creek Road South in east Lewis County and found a Ford F350 pickup truck but no occupants. The truck appeared to have left the road at a sweeping curve without braking, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, a 41-year-old man from Roy, was located later and told a deputy he may have fallen asleep, the sheriff’s office reported.
MISSING HUNTER FINDS OWN WAY
• A 21-year-old hunter from Vancouver was located wet and cold but uninjured about 11 p.m. on Saturday after being lost outside Mossyrock. His partner, a 50-year-old from Battleground, called 911 about 8 p.m. after searching for the young man who failed to meet back up as planned, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy who met up with the 50-year-old at Salmon Creek and Longbell roads reported the 21-year-old said he got lost, followed a logging road to Longbell Road where he got a ride back to camp from a passing motorist. The hunter had only his riffle and pistol with him, according to the sheriff’s office.
MAN INJURES SELF WITH KNIFE
• Police and aid were called to a stab wound victim about 9 p.m. last night on South Tower Avenue in Centralia. The Centralia Police Department said it was self-inflicted and not an accident. Responders from Riverside Fire Authority initiated advanced care and a rapid transport to Providence Centralia Hospital, according to fire Capt. Casey McCarthy. He expected the adult male would be transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
This news story was updated at 9:23 a.m.
A 20-year-old man from Renton was arrested yesterday in connection with the death of the Morton teenager whose body was found off a logging road outside Morton a month after he disappeared from his home this summer.
Austin King
Jack Arnold Silverthorne was was booked for first-degree murder, according to Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield.
Sixteen-year-old Austin King vanished from his family’s home in the Tilton River Mobile Home Park on June 23 and was the subject of a month-long search headed up by volunteers.
His body was found some 10 miles from his home with the help of a psychic who suggested a road to check.
The teenager was initially classified as a runaway and two or three weeks later relabeled as endangered-missing.
Mansfield said sheriff’s detectives traveled to Silverthorne’s home in Renton yesterday and arrested him just before 3 p.m. without incident. He was booked into the jail at 7:50 p.m.
This morning’s announcement is the first public statement from the sheriff’s office indicating they believed foul play was involved in Austin’s death.
When the body was discovered, the sheriff’s office said there was no obvious indication of accident, suicide or foul play.
Early last month, the Lewis County Coroner’s Office acknowledged they had determined it was a homicide, but would not divulge the cause of death. Neither the sheriff’s office nor elected Lewis County Coroner Terry Wilson this morning would disclose the cause of death.
Mansfield this morning indicated detectives have had their eye on Silverthorne for quite a while.
“We identified Silverthorne early in this investigation as a person of interest and later a suspect in the murder of Austin King,” Mansfield said.
The sheriff’s office didn’t offer any details about a motive.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson said Austin and Silverthorne were acquaintances who knew each other through an East Lewis County girl with whom Austin had a relationship.
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Steve Aust said they did not know if Austin was killed in the place his body was found.
The teenager was last seen by his mother Christy Harper at about 12:15 a.m. on June 23 when he said goodnight to her and went off to his detached bedroom outside of their mobile home with two buddies to watch television. He didn’t have a car, but his body was found some 10 miles from Morton.
Mansfield said the sheriff’s office has had to be patient waiting for DNA tests and they wanted to make sure they had the evidence secured and a solid case before making an arrest.
It took a forensic anthropologist in Seattle examining the remains until early last month to help determine the cause and manner of death.
Silverthorne is scheduled to go before a Lewis County Superior Court judge this afternoon, and if he is charged or held for pending charges, the details of what makes him a suspect would be laid out in a document for a judge to review.
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To read previous coverage of Austin King’s case, see below:
• “Breaking news: Morton teenager died by homicide, coroner’s office says” from Friday Oct. 8, 2010
• “Breaking news: Morton area body confirmed as missing teenager Austin King, sheriff’s office says” from Friday Aug. 20, 2010
• “Park filled with mourners for missing Morton teenager Austin King” from Saturday July 24, 2010
• “News brief: Specialist to help examine body found near Morton” from Thursday July 22, 2010
• “Vigil for Morton teen still on; body found yesterday not identified” from Wednesday July 21, 2010
• “News brief: Body of male found near logging road outside of Morton” from Tuesday July 20, 2010
• “News brief: Sheriff’ office seeks tips to find missing teen” from Thursday July 1, 2010
• “Morton teenager remains missing” from Thursday July 1, 2010
• Also, Roy Stemman, a writer in the United Kingdom, published a story, “Psychic guides searchers to teens body” in his Paranormal Review on July 27, 2010 after interviewing psychic Sonya Grace and Morton resident and search organizer Jennifer Mau, founder of the local chapter of Guardians of the Children.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office has booked an individual into jail for first-degree murder.
Jack Arnold Silverthorne was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 7:50 p.m. last night, according to the jail log.
No further information is available right now as to what death it is related to, or even if the booking is related to a current case.
However, the sheriff’s office has two outstanding homicides:
Guy LaFontaine, 58, of Federal Way, died from injuries following an assault the evening of March 13 at the 11,000 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Randle, according to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested a relative, Erik R. Massa, 42, of Randle, and booked him into jail for second-degree murder. He was then released before being charged with any crime.
Austin King, 16, of Morton, was found dead on July 20 off a logging road a month after he disappeared from his home.
His body was found some 10 miles from the family’s home in the Tilton River Mobile Home Park. Austin did not have a car, according to the sheriff’s office. It took until mid-August for authorities to confirm, though DNA, it was indeed the teenager.
Early last month, the Lewis County Coroner’s Office said the manner of death was homicide but would not release Austin’s cause of death.
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More later
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