Second Man Faces Charge In Killings

Thu., Nov. 30, 2000

By John Craig johnc@spokesman.com

Jeffrey Stephen Cunningham is to be arraigned today on charges that he helped a man accused of shooting two men whose bones were found in and around a burned-out truck on a logging road.

Cunningham, 25, faces the same charge of first-degree rendering criminal assistance as Dane Matthew Williams, 27, who pleaded innocent Tuesday in Stevens County Superior Court.

The alleged shooter, John Douglas “Chooey” Grange, 26, has agreed not to challenge his transfer from Oregon and is expected to arrive in Colville next week. No court date has been scheduled for him.

Stevens County sheriff’s officers and local authorities arrested Grange in Portland on Nov. 14; Williams, Nov. 8, near Vancouver, Wash.; and Cunningham, Nov. 3, in Broward County, Fla.

Grange is charged with two counts of second-degree murder for allegedly killing Nicholas Kaiser and Josh Schaefer, both 21, at a cabin near where the victims’ skeletal remains were found about 15 miles north of Colville. Prosecutor Jerry Wetle said in court documents that Schaefer had been attending the Northport Bartre Faire with his friend, Kaiser, whom the suspects considered a drug informer.

Kaiser is from Waynesboro, Pa., but had been living as a transient in Western Washington when he and Schaefer were shot to death June 11 with a .22-caliber rifle. Schaefer is from San Diego.

Williams and Cunningham are accused of helping Grange burn the victims’ bodies in Kaiser’s pickup.

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.