Everett man, 84, accused of killing his missing tenant
EVERETT, Wash. — An 84-year-old Everett-area man is suspected of fatally shooting one of his tenants, who remains missing, authorities said.
Lloyd Richmond was booked into Snohomish County Jail Friday for investigation of murder and assault, The Daily Herald reported.
The presumed victim is a 49-year-old Everett man who was last heard from on Aug. 28, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office said. His name wasn’t released.
Neighbors reported hearing an argument between Richmond and a tenant on Aug. 28 before hearing gunshots, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators believe Richmond later moved the body from the home.
A neighbor reportedly saw Richmond get a gray tarp, “wrap something” in the driveway and load it into the bed of his Dodge pickup, according to court papers. The neighbor later saw Richmond spread some type of “litter or absorbent” to cover up a red stain on the driveway, documents said.
The next day the neighbor saw Richmond move the item from the bed of his Dodge into another vehicle and then left for hours, documents said.
A Snohomish County sheriff’s detective later went to Richmond’s house and got permission from another tenant to collect a sample from the red stain in Richmond’s driveway. Its contents tested positive for blood, court papers say.
The woman told detectives that she overheard the argument between Richmond and another tenant and hadn’t seen the tenant since, documents said. She said Richmond told her later he wanted the missing man to move out of the home and paid him $1,000 to leave, court papers said.
Defense attorney Samantha Sommerman argued there was no probable cause to hold Richmond in jail.
“There’s no body, there’s no weapon, there’s no eyewitness,” Sommerman said in court Tuesday. “The point of probable cause hearings like this is that when you don’t have basic elements that point to the charge of murder, then you don’t have probable cause to hold someone.”
Richmond’s bail was set at $1 million.
The investigation is ongoing.