Blasts kill two in Grant County

Separate explosions killed two men in Grant County within 10 hours over the weekend, officials said Tuesday. Federal, state and local authorities are investigating the suspicious deaths, which come just two weeks after a pipe bomb was used to blow up a truck in the Soap Lake area.

Authorities are trying to determine if the explosions are connected, said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley.

On Saturday, 69-year-old William Arleigh Walker was found dead, face-down in his shop at 14928 Fourth St. N.E., about four miles east of Moses Lake, Turley said. “Walker had somehow experienced severe trauma due to a possible explosion and had received wounds to his neck and chest.”

On Sunday, authorities were notified of a possible explosion and found 53-year-old Javier Martinez Adame, of Moses Lake, dead on the floor of his kitchen with severe wounds to his chest and stomach.

Deputies noticed a pungent smell of sulfur in and around the residence, Turley said.

Authorities determined “an explosive device Adame may have been handling at the time had exploded, killing him almost instantly.”

At Adame’s home, authorities found materials used to make pipe bombs, including pipe, end caps, nails, electrical wires and timing devices, Turley said. The only things missing were fuses and accelerant, such as gunpowder.

Autopsies were performed on both men Tuesday to determine if there was any evidence suggesting a link between the bombs that killed them, Turley said. Results have not yet been made public.

The FBI, Washington State Patrol and Grant County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.

Police point to the recent economic downturn and an ensuing increase in theft and violent crimes as a possible contributing factor. Also, the Sheriff’s Office has seen an increase in gang-related activity in the area, and an increasing presence of the Old Motorcycle gang, Turley said in a news release.

“We are not taking anything for granted,” Turley said Tuesday.