White Center murder: Do you know who these men are?

| Crime | West Seattle news | White Center

That’s a video file just provided by the King County Sheriff’s Office (we uploaded it to YouTube for playback), which detectives hope might help solve yesterday morning’s shooting death of 23-year-old Sweetheart Failautusi. KCSO spokesperson Deputy Travis DeFries explains the video as follows:

There are still 3 suspects at-large and all are described as being black males in their early-to-mid 20’s.

Video surveillance footage from nearby businesses has been reviewed by detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. All three suspects are captured on video and we are now asking for the public’s help in identifying them. Portions of the video have been blurred out to protect the identities of the witnesses and victim.

As it says at the start and finish of the clip – call 911 if you have any information about the suspects. (Meantime, memorials for the victim continue growing, both online and at the scene.)

jedifarfy August 17, 2011 (12:10 pm)

Shared it on my FB wall and intend to share it until they catch these men. We can’t let murders walk the streets of WC and let them drag the area down again. Every since they stopped patrolling as much, the area’s gotten worse. I wish the county would stop sitting and debating about money for bike lanes when it could be better spent on things like keeping citizens safe.

Also, if this follows the trend I’ve seen, I’m willing to be one or all of these men don’t even live in White Center. I believe Officer Cox was murdered by a man from Renton. Please stop coming to our neighborhoods to do your dirty business, thanks.

dbsea August 17, 2011 (12:24 pm)

Looks to be a nice clear shot of their faces. Should help to convict and hopefully execute this sub human garbage. Sorry, I think they may have been people at one time, not any more.

Derek August 17, 2011 (12:29 pm)

To be fair, bike lanes and police patrols come from very different parts of the budget.

here August 17, 2011 (1:07 pm)

Thugs. Do these 3 fit the description of the ones that robbed the Baskin and Robbins?

TeeTaw August 17, 2011 (1:12 pm)

Those people that are not usually from White Center are coming to see someone are they not?

Regardless, I am sure once they find one of them, someone will start chirping to save their own a** and give their other buddies up.

onceachef August 17, 2011 (1:54 pm)

I hope they’re the guys, hope they’re caught and hope they spend the rest of their worthless lives in prison.

dsa August 17, 2011 (3:10 pm)

That is excellent video.

Carole August 17, 2011 (3:45 pm)

Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground…

nottellingyou August 17, 2011 (3:49 pm)

Sounds like it might have been provoked. hmmmmm… A fight? Then a shooting? Mutual combat? Lovely! I’m staying the heck out of White Center!!! Why do we even need to hear about White Center?

MB August 17, 2011 (4:04 pm)

I’m sharing on my FB page as well, thanks for the great idea Jedifarfy. Hope they are caught soon and I’m sure they will be with such clear video. Scum…

cj August 17, 2011 (4:15 pm)

Nice video. I noticed the hair and shirts looked like they were trying to match each other, some kind of uniform? Also looked like some kind of confrontation at some point with looking back and hand waving. Best of luck on the investigation.

Anon August 17, 2011 (4:18 pm)

Hopefully someone recognizes them soon.
So many people are showing love for her on here too. RIL Sweetheart. :(
http://www.facebook.com/#!/RIPSWEETHEART

smokeycretin9 August 17, 2011 (5:01 pm)

Makes me wonder why the Texaco owner lets these turds hang out there at all hours of the night.

Every time I go past there, its thugs and nogoodnicks.

Rox rocks! August 17, 2011 (5:20 pm)

Well said Carole ;)

RIP Sweetheart, this senseless violence makes me sick.

MB August 17, 2011 (5:30 pm)

Someone on her page says they raided a house on 13th in WC and “got them.” Anyone know if that’s true?

WSB August 17, 2011 (5:39 pm)

I just drove a long stretch of 13th and found no officers anywhere, also have msg out to KCSO.

DG August 17, 2011 (5:55 pm)

No, I don’t know who these guys are. I suspect we travel in different circles.

Christopher Boffoli August 17, 2011 (7:16 pm)

As much as people are always quick to react to the proliferation of video surveillance cameras with cries of “Big Brother” I have to say that, especially in cases where violent crimes are involved, I’m grateful that the cameras were there to improve the chances that the perpetrators will be held responsible for their heinous crimes.

carole August 17, 2011 (7:45 pm)

Sea times online reports one arrest, posted near 7pm.

cindy August 17, 2011 (8:06 pm)

yes there was a swat raid! they did catch someone that was in this video ! total shame i live near this person, in total shock! I had brief encounters seemed like an ok guy! just goes to show ya never know what goes on inside a mans head and heart! thank goodness for technology! glad that justice will be done! so sad for her family!

jedifarfy August 18, 2011 (12:07 pm)

“Those people that are not usually from White Center are coming to see someone are they not?”

Yes, but those people from WC aren’t committing the crimes. Of course, I was finally proven wrong when it turns out the one suspect caught so far is apparently from WC or was at least staying at a house in WC.

Just because you LIVE in WC doesn’t mean you are a criminal. I’ve lived here my whole life, never received so much as a parking ticket. I can also associate with whomever I want from other areas. My point, and I’ll use the Officer Cox case as an example, is that people from outside the area, say Renton, Federal Way, Bremerton, whereever, are coming HERE to commit crimes. The reasons are numerous, but they could include knowing the lack of police patrols, knowledge of current gang activity, race or ethnicity reasons, or just the reputation and believing that’s it’s ok to do crime in this area as opposed to, say, Magnolia. There are plenty of crimes committed by residents of course, but from what I’d seen in the past few years, the most violent crimes like murder and shootings had been done by people NOT from WC. I could be completely wrong and would love to see the data and do more research on this subject.

WSB August 18, 2011 (12:10 pm)

Jedi, as we reported last night, the arrest was NOT in White Center. It was at 12th/Barton, which is West Seattle/Highland Park (though I know there are some people who prefer to use “White Center” to describe some of the area immediately north of Roxbury).

just hush August 18, 2011 (10:25 pm)

I wish people would stop talking about other people coming into white center and messing stuff up as if this place was holy to begin with. White Center is dirty, always has been dirty, and the people who have lived here their whole lives commit crimes and do dumb *&%# too and think they’re gangsters and walk around with guns and watch too much MTV. You have your crackheads, your child molesters, your rapists, and most recently murderers… to speculate where the violence is coming from is a waste of time. And if it is coming from Renton, Federal Way, or wherever the hell you think… what are you going to do about it? Welcome to the rest of the world in the season of summer… unless you live in a gated community and have the money to pay for security you’re not exempt. Does it make it okay? Absolutely not. But you’re not going to change anything by “investigating where everyone migrates from…” There’s a fool in every color, background, and family. Give it up.

Sorry, comment time is over.