Killings Pulling Cops From Other Cases

Tue., March 2, 1999

By Adam Lynn adaml@spokesman.com

Spokane County sheriff’s detectives are being forced to ignore property crimes as they try to solve several recent killings, officials said Monday.

Sunday’s double homicide at a Valley party has further taxed a detective force investigating Spokane’s serial killings and the Christopher Wood murder, said Deputy Dave Reagan, sheriff’s spokesman.

Travis Robinson, 21, and Brandon Frostad, 20, were gunned down about 1:30 a.m. in the back yard of a house on East Broadway.

Detectives who generally investigate burglaries, car thefts and sex crimes are being pulled to work the murder cases, Reagan said. “They’re just getting hammered,” he said.

At least four major crimes detectives are assigned full time to hunt for the predator suspected of killing eight women in Spokane and two in Tacoma since November 1997.

Thirteen other detectives are investigating the Wood case. Eleven-year-old Christopher Wood was found strangled in Stevens County last month. His father has been charged with the boy’s murder.

Those detectives are expected to finish interviewing several hundred people who live in the Woods’ neighborhood this week.

They then will be assigned to follow up on 15 tips called in by the public about a plastic trash can missing from the Wood home. Detectives announced last week they were looking for the Rubbermaid “Roughneck.” It may contain evidence related to the murder, Reagan said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.