Uncle’s Tale Of Intruders Called A Lie Police Claim Information Contradicts Suspect’s Story In Rachel Carver’s Death

Jason Wickenhagen’s story of being forced by three men to kill his 9-year-old niece is a lie, Spokane police said Thursday.

Wickenhagen, 23, was arrested last week and booked into the Spokane County Jail for first-degree murder. He is being held on $1 million bail.

Police believe he beat Rachel Carver to death on June 14 and dumped her body along a North Side road. Hundreds of residents searched for the third-grader when she failed to show up for her last day of school.

After his arrest, Wickenhagen told police he killed the girl - but only after several men had shown up at his North Ash home and forced him to do it.

He gave police and the media different versions of the story, claiming the men had threatened to kill him and harm his wife if he didn’t do as they said. Wickenhagen said he owed the men money.

One of the men Wickenhagen named, however, was out of town during Rachel’s disappearance.

Police said Dennis Doney, 47, was in Montana the morning of June 14 when Rachel was killed. He was arrested early June 17 in connection with an unrelated domestic violence assault.

Doney, who gave his address as 2220 W. Boone, declined an interview from the Spokane County Jail, where he is being held on $5,000 bail.

Wickenhagen also refused to be interviewed.

Police believe Wickenhagen accused Doney of being involved in Rachel’s death because the two had gotten into a disagreement recently and were angry with each other.

Detectives wouldn’t say what the argument was about.

The information “completely discounts Wickenhagen’s tale of intruders,” said Dick Cottam, a police spokesman.

Also Thursday, detectives said Wickenhagen’s wife, Rene, had no part in her niece’s death.

After interviewing Rene Wickenhagen and reviewing the evidence collected, police are convinced she had no knowledge of the homicide or concealment of the child’s body, Cottam said. He did not elaborate.

Efforts to reach Rene Wickenhagen for comment were unsuccessful Thursday.

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