Just published on SPD Blotter by Jonah Spangenthal-Lee – news that a West Seattle murder case dating back to 1984 is now closed. 36-year-old Michael Vanderpool was shot and killed in an alley in Highland Park. An SPD detective reviewing cold-case files this summer – who says, “We want to make it clear to suspects, we never give up” – tracked down witnesses and determined who the killer was. Read the whole story on SPD Blotter here.
There is no statute of limitations for murder.
Side note, our state has fewer murders now than it did then, despite the population increase. 1984, according to this online clipping, was a particularly bad year – https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=860&dat=19840423&id=n5hUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5o4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5764,2210963
1983/84 was also during the Green River Killer murders. That was a sad time. : (
Cold cases are notoriously difficult, so it is always a good thing when police get a break that allows them to solve.
Hopefully one day we’ll see similar closure on the mysterious murders of Greggete Guy and Jeremy Peck.
Agreed, Mc Gruff. I never knew Greggette Guy, but think of her whenever I drive that stretch of Beach Drive. Hopefully she and Mr. Peck will have their killers brought to justice soon.
Couple other unsolved West Seattle murders from recent years too … Kaari Higgins in Fauntlee Hills, Stephen Jeffries Jr. in South Delridge.
Ugh. I hadn’t heard about Ms Higgins or Mr. Jeffries. Just searched for their archived stories on the blog. Those poor families deserve justice too. I hope it comes swiftly for ALL of those victims.
I have a friend who was murdered in 2004 and they have never found her killer, it was a heinous grizzly crime and is horrible to think that the person who did this to her is still out there!
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