Spokane Man Arrested For Murder Friend Tips Off Police That Man Had Dead Woman’s Body In Back Of Pickup Truck

Sat., Dec. 23, 1995

Bonnie Harris And Gita Sitaramiah S Staff writer

Police arrested a Spokane man for murder early Friday, shortly after a woman was killed at the North Side house where he lives.

Stevens County sheriff’s deputies stopped Danial C. Peters, 22, about 5:30 a.m. near Jump Off Joe Lake, after a man called 911 and said Peters had a body in the back of his white pickup truck.

Peters was booked for first-degree murder into the Spokane County Jail, where he is being held without bail.

Police refused to identify the victim, who is in her late 30s or early 40s. They also wouldn’t offer a motive or say how she was killed. Autopsy results may be available today.

Peters lives at 34 E. Glass with homeowner Robert Katke, 65, who was arrested this summer for selling drugs to an undercover police officer.

Detectives found methamphetamine inside the two-story house and also suspected Katke made the drug, but found no evidence of a lab during a search. They also found more than 100 pornographic videotapes, some of which contained images of children.

When neighbors saw police swarm the house early Friday, many thought Katke was in trouble again.

“I looked out there and thought, ‘What has Bob done now?”’ said Jo Vogrig, who lives across the street. “I asked the cops and they said there was nothing to worry about.

“There’s been a murder and there’s nothing to worry about? Yeah, right,” Vogrig said.

Tammy Hutchinson, who lives next to Katke, said she heard noises coming from the man’s house about 4:30 a.m. Friday. She said his white truck had idled for some time before it pulled away.

Hutchinson said she didn’t see anything suspicious and couldn’t be sure if Katke was home. “Someone was just being loud,” she said. “Banging around and stuff.”

Katke was not arrested. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful late Friday.

Neighbors said Peters moved in with Katke earlier this year to take care of the older man, who has AIDS. Katke didn’t keep his homosexuality a secret, neighbors said, and talked openly about his disease.

He told Hutchinson his new roommate stripped him, tied him up with duct tape and beat him one time, several months ago.

“I was like, ‘Well, why are you letting him stay here, then?”’ Hutchinson said. “But he told me he could trust him now. It was just a misunderstanding.” Police Chief Terry Mangan said Peters drove the pickup to a friend’s house in Stevens County and talked about the killing. The friend called police.

Peters was arrested shortly afterward and the truck was turned over to Spokane police, Mangan said.

By Friday afternoon, the victim remained in the pickup.

“I don’t know that they’ve even got close enough to see the body,” Mangan said, but he added detectives believe they know the woman’s name. He would not say what her relationship to Peters was.

“Mr. Peters, I believe, is denying he committed this murder,” Mangan said.

One source said the caller who tipped off police told them the woman was killed at Katke’s home.

Peters pleaded guilty in July to residential burglary. At the same time, a manufacturing and delivery of controlled substance charge was dismissed.

Police made public few details of the case.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: DEADLY YEAR There have been 22 murders in Spokane so far this year, surpassing the previous high of 19 in 1983.

This sidebar appeared with the story: DEADLY YEAR There have been 22 murders in Spokane so far this year, surpassing the previous high of 19 in 1983.

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