Slaying stuns Palouse town

An Endicott, Wash., man was killed and dumped in the Palouse River early Sunday while his girlfriend was forced to watch, said Whitman County Sheriff Brett Myers.

It’s the first murder investigation this town of 300 about 75 miles south of Spokane has seen in at least 30 years, Myers said.

Erik Zettergren, 36, also of Endicott, was arrested Sunday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 32-year-old Jason Robinson.

The investigation is ongoing, but Myers said he has no reason to believe that anyone else is involved in the death.

“It’s just devastating. You don’t ever expect this in your hometown,” said Endicott resident Sheri Hughes. Hughes’ husband, James, is Endicott’s mayor.

Deputies found Robinson’s body under three feet of water near the riverbank about eight miles north of Endicott, said Myers. He had been shot once in the head.

The killing is believed to have occurred at Zettergren’s home at 102 D St.

“The victim’s girlfriend was also threatened at that point, and forced to go with the suspect to dump the body,” said Myers.

He said that she was able to escape by pleading with the suspect.

“She had kids, and said, ‘Please, don’t shoot me. I have kids,’ ” Myers said, adding that the slaying may have been motivated by a fight over the girlfriend.

She called the Sheriff’s Department at about 4 a.m. Sunday to report the crime. They found the body at about 6 a.m.

Shortly afterward, a contingent of officers from the Whitman County’s Sheriff’s Department, Washington State Patrol, and the Special Response Team from Whitman County, Pullman and Washington State University surrounded Zettergren’s house to protect the public and prevent the suspect from potentially destroying evidence.

He was arrested without incident at about 7:30 a.m. Sunday as he attempted to leave.

Zettergren will make his first court appearance today in Whitman County Superior Court.