Two 16-year-old boys have been arrested in connection with the death of an unnamed 51-year-old man after one of the teens went missing for over a day.
After being found safe following his disappearance on his way to football practice, a Washington state teen has been arrested on suspicion of murder, according to reports.
Gabriel Michael Davies, 16, and his friend Justin Jiwoon Yoon, 16, have been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, burglary, and the unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the New York Daily News.
These charges are in relation to the death of Daniel McCaw, who was found fatally shot at home, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday.
Davies was thought to have gone missing Wednesday, but was later found by authorities Thursday night. Investigators said that Davies' disappearance was feigned, according to local outlet Fox 13.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office told the News Tribune that Davis was located just north of where deputies said they found his vehicle under “suspicious circumstances.”
Detectives reportedly found items strewn about, a small amount of blood and a smashed cellphone at the scene of Davies’ vehicle, according to the Daily News.
According to Fox 13, investigators obtained surveillance video from McCaw's home. The video showed two males, and detectives say they used the Department of Licensing to confirm the identities of Yoon and Davies, according to the outlet.
The recording showed the two suspects arrive at the home and crawl through the dog door into the home, per the outlet.
About 40 minutes later, the victim left his detached garage and "stumbled" into his home. About five minutes following his entrance, the video showed a dog running out of the dog door, and one minute later both suspects left the home through the side door.
"The suspects ran back and forth to the garage before fleeing at approximately 2:52 a.m.," according to Fox 13.
According to the outlet, both suspects appeared to be carrying items, including a possible handgun, and were wearing gloves.
Deputies got a search warrant for both Davies and Yoon's homes, and Davies later showed them where he and Yoon disposed of two firearms they had stolen from McCaw's residence. According to the outlet, the weapons were found in a military style ammunition can, matching the two empty holsters found at McCaw's home.
Detectives learned that the teen knew McCaw because he had previously been in a relationship with Davies’ mother, according to the outlet.
Regarding a motive, Davies and his father claim this incident started with a threat from members of an "outlaw motorcycle club," according to the outlet.
Fox 13 reports that both Davies' and Yoon's fathers contacted the police to discuss the crime, saying that Davies had been involved. According to Davies' father, biker gang members connected to McCaw told the teen to steal an "item" from the victim's home, threatening violence.
Davies told Yoon about the interaction with the bike group, and they devised a plan to get the item from McCaw's safe, according to Fox 13.
When the McCaw returned to his home that night, Yoon allegedly followed and stabbed him. Davies "heard a gunshot," and then heard another when attempting to retrieve the "item" from the safe in the victim's garage, according to the outlet.
According to the medical examiner's office, McCaw suffered a gunshot wound to the head and another to the torso, and had what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.
The local police did a welfare check when the McCaw did not show up to work for four days, according to a statement from the Pierce County Sheriff's department.
When they arrived, police found the 51-year-old's body in his laundry room, according to Fox 13.
Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss told the News Tribune that the victim had been dead for at least 24 hours prior to the discovery of his body on Thursday morning.
Both teens are being held at the Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center with their bail set at $1 million.
According to local outlet WDAM 7, a GoFundMe was set up Saturday to raise money for Davies’ legal defense, raising nearly $21,000 before it was taken down Sunday afternoon.
GoFundMe said the page violated its terms of service because they do not allow anyone to raise money for someone suspected of a violent crime. All donations given Davies’ fundraiser will be refunded, according to the outlet.
Yoon and Davies' next court date is set for October 6, according to reports.
