County Beefs Up Sheriff’s Budget Serial Murder Case Drains Funds, Manpower

Spokane County commissioners boosted the sheriff’s budget Tuesday by about $300,000 a year to help solve murder cases.

The money will fund three detectives, a sergeant and a secretary to replace employees working to solve the murders of 19 women. The money also will be used to buy equipment and pay for travel for homicide investigators.

The investigation of other crimes has suffered because so many staff members are working on the city/county task force trying to solve the murders, Sheriff John Goldman told commissioners. The effort includes following up on about 750 tips from the public and cataloging evidence.

“To have a chance to be effective in this case, we need these (new) people at a minimum,” Goldman said.

“Even if we make an arrest tomorrow, we still have to process all the evidence in each case to assure a prosecution.”

The commissioners’ action came a day after the Spokane City Council approved bolstering the Police Department with two detectives and a sergeant. Those new officers will replace those shifted from other duties to work on the task force.

The task force is investigating the murders of 19 women in the Spokane area since 1984. Detectives believe the same person committed at least five of those murders and a sixth in Tacoma.

Most of the women - and all those believed murdered by a serial killer - had engaged in what task force members call “high-risk activities.” In most cases, that means they associated with prostitutes and illegal drug users.

, DataTimes