Spokane’s alleged murder-for-hire case gets FBI involvement

An FBI spokesman and law enforcement officials in North Dakota confirm they are assisting the Spokane Police Department in its investigation of a potential murder-for-hire plot in the death of Douglas Carlile.

Kyle Loven, a spokesman for the FBI’s Minneapolis Division, told the Bismarck Tribune on Thursday agents in North Dakota are working with Spokane police on the investigation into Carlile’s shooting death in his South Hill home Dec. 15.

Spokane detectives have said they think James Henrikson, a former business associate of Carlile, directed Timothy Suckow, 50, to kill Carlile. Henrikson told police shortly after the shooting that Carlile owed him close to $2 million related to oil speculation deals in North Dakota, but he denied involvement in his death.

Suckow is in Spokane County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail.

Henrikson gave an address to police just north of Watford City, a boom town on the fringe of North Dakota’s Bakken shale oil fields in McKenzie County. Sheriff John Fulwider told the County Farmer on Thursday his agency was ready to assist federal agents in the county looking into his “ties to wrongdoings in Washington.”

Earlier this week, Spokane police searched a home belonging to a co-worker of Suckow and found several guns the co-worker said belonged to the alleged gunman. At least one of the guns matched the description of the firearm police think was used to kill Carlile.

Police records link Suckow to a known associate of Henrikson, according to court documents. Suckow’s phone also contained a contact labeled “James ND” that matched the number police had on file for Henrikson.