Pierce County girl, 6, might have witnessed her father killing a man, court records show

A Pierce County man is accused of killing his roommate after the man’s body was found on Oct. 25 in Parkland.

Casey Vincent Christianson, 47, was arrested on Oct. 23 for assault after he allegedly got in a fight with his father in front of Pierce County sheriff’s deputies. Two days later, his roommate’s body was found in a camper on Christianson’s property.

Christianson now is charged with two counts of second-degree murder in his roommate’s death. He was charged last week with third-degree assault, resisting arrest and fourth-degree assault in regard to the Oct. 23 incident with his father.

A plea of not guilty was entered on Christianson’s behalf during his arraignment on Monday at Pierce County Superior Court. He is being held on a $1.5 million bail along with his $25,000 bail that was set for the assault charges.

Roommate found dead

A welfare check was conducted at Christianson’s home on Oct. 23 after concerns that his 6-year-old daughter was not enrolled at school. There also were questions about potential lewd conduct between Christianson and his daughter, according to the charging documents for the first incident.

Christianson allegedly locked his father out of the home for several days and refused to answer when Child Protective Services arrived. Pierce County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the home, but they were unaware that his roommate was deceased in a trailer next to the house, charging documents say.

During the investigation of the alleged assault, the 6-year-old told deputies she “had been kinda scared the past few days” because her dad “has strangled a few people,” but she said she still loved her dad. She allegedly stated that she witnessed her dad strangling his friend. It was not disclosed when and where that allegedly happened nor that the friend was living in the trailer, prosecutors wrote.

Christianson was booked into Pierce County Jail on Oct. 23 after allegedly assaulting his father in front of deputies. On Wednesday, deputies went back to the Parkland home after a body was found in the trailer. Christianson’s father went into the trailer on Wednesday to check on the roommate and discovered him deceased, prosecutors wrote.

First responders who tended to the roommate reported “weird marks on his neck,” including multiple lacerations and puncture marks, court records show. A chain and medallion were found near the trailer, and detectives concluded the roommate was murdered in a different location and then taken to the trailer, prosecutors wrote.

The medical examiner determined that the roommate’s cause of death was asphyxiation, and the manner was ruled a homicide, court documents show.

During a forensic interview, the daughter said she allegedly saw her father strangling the roommate in their home. She said her father was on top of the roommate and had his knees on the roommate arms as he strangled him, prosecutors wrote.

Christianson has prior felony convictions include first-degree rape of a child.