An Everett, Washington, a woman was arrested Thursday in the murder of a man who was lured with the promise of sex and then robbed, beaten, bound and left to die in the cold at a camp in the woods, according to police.
Police were called to a wooded area near the Evergreen Cemetery on Broadway in Everett after a man’s body was found. Officers said they found the deceased man on his back, with his wrists bound to a tree near his head. He was wearing only underwear, one sock, and an undershirt-type T-shirt.
Officers said though there was dried blood on the man's nose and lips, there were no obvious signs of trauma or cause of death.
The next day, the medical examiner determined the victim had died from exposure. Because he had been restrained and his clothing had been purposefully removed, the death was ruled a homicide, according to officers. Temperatures that night reached a low of 33 degrees.
In the course of the investigation, major crimes detectives spoke with a witness who said she heard a woman and two men talking about how she and one of the men planned to take the victim to his camp and steal from him.
Detectives located the woman, who told them the two men she was with had spoken to the victim about a deal for sex with her, but when they went to the ATM, the victim didn’t have enough money in his account.
The woman said she and one of the two men returned with the victim to his camp, and while she was kissing the victim, the man began hitting the victim with a stick and choking him from behind until he passed out, documents said. She told the detective she became scared and fled back to a tent she shared with another man.
Detectives said they interviewed the man who shared a tent with the suspect, who told them what the woman had said happened during the attack.
The 33-year-old woman was arrested for investigation of second-degree murder Thursday.
Once in custody, the woman was interviewed again. Detectives said she admitted to taking the victim to a wooded area with another man and going through the victim’s pockets after the man tied the victim to a tree and beat him. She then left with the victim’s jacket, noting that the male suspect took the victim’s phone, wallet and other clothes, according to police documents.
“(The woman) knew it was near freezing and stated that she walked by the location a few hours later and did not check on the victim,” probable cause documents said.
Detectives said they believe the woman likely helped restrain the victim, which led to his death.
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