The Des Moines Police Department is conducting a homicide investigation of a deceased woman found in a triplex apartment in the 24000 block of 25th Ave South early Tuesday morning (Aug. 31).

Police say that the landlord of the complex, who lives in an adjacent unit, called 911 just after midnight, after hearing “thumping” sounds a short time earlier. The landlord also stated the dogs inside the unit were barking excessively, which was unusual.

Arriving patrol officers found the apartment locked, interior lights on, and the front window coverings closed. Officers received no response at the door. Utilizing a chair from the landlord, officers were able to peer into the apartment through a small window at the top of the front door. Officers saw the victim on the floor just inside the entry way and proceeded to enter. The victim was deceased and it was evident she had died from homicidal violence.

The victim is a white female, approximately 29-years old, and she is believed to be the tenant of the apartment. The Washington State Crime Lab, King County AFIS, and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office are assisting Des Moines Police Department detectives with the investigation of the crime scene.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has taken jurisdiction of the victim and will release her name once identification has been verified and family members have received notification.

The case is currently under investigation.

Here’s a map of the location:

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Free skiing professional Arne Backstrom, 29, a Normandy Park native and frequent skier at Crystal Mountain, has apparently been killed after a big-mountain fall in Peru.

According to a report on www.freeskier.com, the accident occurred Thursday (June 3) on Pisco Mountain in the Cordillera Blanca region of Peru, South America.

According to an email from his friend Josh Weiner, Arne grew up in Normandy Park, and attended Marvista Elementary and then Sylvester Middle School. He graduated from Highline High School in 1999 and then went on to attend Whitman College in Walla Walla.

Josh says that Arne also worked at the Normandy Park Swim Club in the summers was an outstanding athlete who swam for the same pool and at Highline.

He was also apparently an Eagle Scout with troop 392 at John Knox Presbyterian Church.

“Too much to mention at once, he was an amazing guy,” Josh added in an email.

Arne’s sister, Ingrid, is considered by many to be the world’s best women’s free skier. His brother, Ralph, is a professional snowboarder.

The following excerpts are from Arne Backstrom’s biography at www.patagonia.com:

During my earlier ski days, my family rolled up to the mountains in a rusty brown 1954 GMC bookmobile. It was a grotesque machine in both looks and mechanics, but every Friday night from December to April, that neurotic old vehicle delivered our family of five the 100 miles from Seattle to Crystal Mountain and provided lodging for the weekend. My sister and brother and I would sit at the table/bed in the back and Mom gripped the dash from the co-pilot position while Dad worked the shifter and struggled to manage 26,000 lbs of momentum with less than adequate brakes. It was an eyesore, scary to drive, cold, and smelled funny, but when it snowed two feet we laughed and said it was paradise. It wasn’t luxury living, but it brought the family together, and we skied hard. I probably wouldn’t have wished it back then, but those days seem to have set the tone for my life thus far, at least in spirit. I still do whatever it takes to ski as much as I can.

After some years of tearing around the mountain finding secret trails and powder stashes, I began racing at 11. It was the logical next step and provided speed and adrenaline and taught me to push the limits. I enjoyed the competition, and the discipline was good, but I was still out freeskiing as much as possible, and I poached the “snowboard park” on occasion, too. I ski raced through college, and then with some hard-earned summer cash, took off to Europe and succeeded in spending a serious amount of time on snow, racking up lots of vertical in big terrain. Since then, the thought of a “real” job has been less and less attractive, and when winter comes around I put everything else aside.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes video of Arne from a Warren Miller film:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MWgnwxzpLc[/youtube]

Here’s one of Arne shot in Revelstoke in January:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC_8_Mxkyu4[/youtube]

Some links of interest:

• Interesting story on the Backstrom family here.
• Arne had a blog here.
• Arne’s Facebook page is here.
• Facebook tribute page is here.

Our condolences go out to Arne’s family and friends.

The family of Mark Ebinger (pictured, left), 25, who was stabbed to death outside Good Time Ernie’s in Burien last November, has increased the reward offered to $10,000 in hopes of generating tips that will lead to an arrest.

Mark and his brother Peter, 24, were attacked outside the Burien bar on the morning of November 12, 2009. Mark died from stab wounds at the scene. Peter was stabbed numerous times, but survived.

Detectives believe there were several witnesses to the attack, and these witnesses might have information that could solve the case.

The homicide occurred outside Good Time Ernie’s Pub, located at 15747 Ambaum Blvd SW in Burien.

As our sister website The B-Town Blog reported on Dec. 28, 2009:

Peter recalled the attack, saying that a “few words were spoken to someone who was with us in the bar, and I told Mark we should leave…and as we left a group of guys came out the other door, a bottle was thrown at us, then they came at us with knives.”

“I was just scared, and was trying to get away,” Peter said. He also added that Mark was “kind of far away” from him in the parking lot at the time of the attack.

The Ebinger Family at the Dec. 28th press conference.

Peter also added that “someone else had words with one of the guys in the other group…” and he had no idea what was said, but is certain that the attacker(s) were in that group.

Once outside, “one guy came up in my face and tried to take a swing at me and another guy hit me from behind,” Peter continued. “I got stabbed probably six or seven times in the back…”

Peter said he’s “not planning on going back” to Goodtime Ernie’s anytime soon, “and no one I know is going back…”

Despite numerous rumors, there is no definite word on whether the attackers are part of a gang.

Mark Ebinger's brother Peter was also stabbed, but survived.

“We’re all very upset and angry, and well, you can imagine…”

Mark worked at a printing press and mostly did manual labor.

Regarding Mark’s death, Peter said: “It happened real fast and he didn’t feel much pain…”

The investigation is still ongoing.

“We know that someone out there knows something, saw something, or has heard something,” said Jim Laing. “…and that information might seem insignificant to them but it could be the information that cracks this case and we’re appealing to anyone who has any information to come forward.”

Laing continued: “No homicide case is ever closed until it’s closed, and this will remain open until it’s solved.”

On The B-Town Blog’s original Nov. 12th report, there are now 105 Comments, which make for some very interesting reading – see it here – many comments are in scolding tones to those who were there that night but have refused to come forward to identify the suspect(s). Perhaps this higher reward will change that?

Crimestoppers is also offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information on the case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 (24 hours), or 9-1-1.

According to KING-TV, Des Moines Police are investigating the discovery of a 22-year old Tukwila man’s body after it was found near a Des Moines gas station on Pacific Highway South.

According to reports, a pedestrian first spotted the body face down on some gravel between a wall and a carwash at a Shell station located in the 23000 block of Pacific Highway South near Kent-Des Moines Road.

Police have questioned the clerk, and have also interviewed people in the surrounding area. They will also be reviewing footage from numerous surveillance as well as red light cameras in the neighborhood.

The victim’s identity has not yet been released, although sources say he was a Tukwila resident.

UPDATE 1/4/10: Here’s a video courtesy Q13 News:

Story & Photos by Scott Schaefer

It must’ve been the absolute toughest Christmas ever for the Ebinger family of Burien, as they had to celebrate without their son Mark, 25, who was fatally stabbed outside Goodtime Ernie’s Nov. 12th.

On Monday (Dec. 28th), the family held a press conference at the King County Sheriff’s office in downtown Seattle, where they offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) in the fatal stabbing.

Acting Public Information Officer Jim Laing spoke, along with Mark’s brother Peter (who was also stabbed), 24, as his distraught parents, sister and girlfriend sat nearby, solemnly holding back tears; here’s the raw MP3 of the conference:

Peter recalled the attack, saying that a “few words were spoken to someone who was with us in the bar, and I told Mark we should leave…and as we left a group of guys came out the other door, a bottle was thrown at us, then they came at us with knives.”

“I was just scared, and was trying to get away,” Peter said. He also added that Mark was “kind of far away” from him in the parking lot at the time of the attack.

Peter also added that “someone else had words with one of the guys in the other group…” and he had no idea what was said, but is certain that the attacker(s) were in that group.

Once outside, “one guy came up in my face and tried to take a swing at me and another guy hit me from behind,” Peter continued. “I got stabbed probably six or seven times in the back…”

Peter said he’s “not planning on going back” to Goodtime Ernie’s anytime soon, “and no one I know is going back…”

Despite numerous rumors, there is no definite word on whether the attackers are part of a gang.

“We’re all very upset and angry, and well, you can imagine…”

Mark worked at a printing press and mostly did manual labor.

Regarding Mark’s death, Peter said: “It happened real fast and he didn’t feel much pain…”

The investigation is still ongoing.

“We know that someone out there knows something, saw something, or has heard something,” said Jim Laing. “…and that information might seem insignificant to them but it could be the information that cracks this case and we’re appealing to anyone who has any information to come forward.”

Laing continued: “No homicide case is ever closed until it’s closed, and this will remain open until it’s solved.”

If anyone has any information on this case, they should call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-274-6313.

$1,000 of the reward money comes from Crimestoppers, and $4,000 from the Ebinger family.

Read our previous coverage of this tragic incident here.

The Seattle Times is reporting that the body of a climber found Saturday on Oregon’s Mount Hood was identified as 26-year-old Luke T. Gullberg of Des Moines.

Gulberg’s body was found around 10am on the Reid Glacier, at about the 9,000-foot level.

Reports are that weather conditions on the mountain are expected to improve, and will hopefully allow rescue personnel greater searching capabilities to find two other missing climbers.

“All three of these climbers were well equipped and experienced,” said Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Detective Jim Strovink.

According to the Times:

Two other climbers were still missing after a daylong search.

The remaining climbers still missing were identified as 24-year-old Anthony Vietti of Longview, Wash., and 29-year-old Katti Nolan of Portland.

Strovink said all three climbers were experienced and well-equipped.

A search is set to resume shortly after dawn on Sunday for Vietti and Nolan. The trio left Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood about 1 a.m. Friday and were reported missing when they failed to return Friday afternoon.

Our own research reveals a Des Moines-based Luke Gullberg on MySpace (“climb4life”) as well as Facebook:

Helen Jensen, 95, was found dead early Tuesday morning (Dec. 8th) after wandering away in her wheelchair from the Wesley Homes Health Care Center in Des Moines Monday night.

According to KING-TV, Jensen went missing from Wesley Homes Monday night around 11:45pm. Staff apparently did not call police until about 2:30am. After police searched for her for about 45 minutes, they found her deceased body on the ground about 100 yards away at 1000 South 216th Street.

Police reviewed video surveillance tapes and saw that Jensen had left the nursing home in her wheelchair around 11:45pm.

The King County medical examiner has not yet determined Jensen’s cause of death, but temperatures have been below freezing for the last several nights, raising the possibility that Jensen died of exposure.

Here’s a video report from KING-TV:

Area native and King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg announced Thursday (Nov. 12th) that Christopher John Monfort, 41, will face charges of aggravated first-degree murder charges for the killing of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, along with three counts of attempted first-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill his partner, aiming a gun at police, as well as first-degree arson charges for trying to kill officers by firebombing police vehicles at a city maintenance yard.

Along with that litany of charges, it’s also probable that Satterberg will pursue the death penalty for Monfort, as aggravated first-degree murder of a police officer is punishable by one of two sentences in Washington — life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

As we previously reported, Monfort was shot last Friday (Nov. 6th) outside his Tukwila apartment after being approached by police about his car, which matched a vehicle seen near the scene of Brenton’s death on Halloween night.

After aiming a malfunctioning handgun at police, Monfort was shot on the scene and is still in custody at Harborview Medical Center. It was also revealed by his family today that he is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the shooting.

According to Seattle Police documents, Monfort’s apartment had a cache of weapons, including bomb-making materials. He is also believed to have “worked alone” in the fatal shooting of Officer Brenton, and has been called a “lone terrorist” in this case. Detectives have recovered DNA evidence from both the arson scene at the city maintenance facility and the scene of Officer Brenton’s murder directly tying him to both incidents.

Detectives also recovered a .223 caliber rifle from Monfort’s apartment, and a ballistics test identified it as the firearm used in Officer Brenton’s murder.

Also recovered from Monfort’s apartment was a considerable amount of bomb-making material and evidence that indicates that the type of explosive devices Monfort was in the process of making or had made were even more lethal than the ones used in the Oct. 22nd arson.

According to police, “he clearly was intending to inflict even more destruction in his next criminal attack.”

Further examination of the explosive devices used in the arson and of the devices found in his apartment indicate that Monfort was also intending to harm first responders to the scene, such as police and fire department personnel.

Monfort once attended Highline Community College in Des Moines, where he became involved in student government and was elected vice president of legislation.

The Oct. 23, 2003, edition of HCC’s student newspaper The Thunderword describes how Monfort ran for student senate and spoke at a candidates’ forum, where he was quoted as saying:

“Too often, too many of us walk around with our head in the clouds.”

According to the article, Monfort:

“…believes he is unique, because he is upset about our current state of government and actually wants to do something about it. … The student body has been cheated and lied to by the Bush Administration,” said Monfort. He plans on putting together a petition to bring our soldiers home.”

Monfort was also quoted as saying: “Our freedom is under attack.“

Story & Photos by Scott Schaefer

Welcome to Dia de las Muertes de Des Moines – The Waterland Blog’s “Day of the Dead” tribute to the area’s earliest, and sadly, mostly forgotten settlers, who are buried in a place most residents don’t even know exists.

This is the story of the area’s oldest graveyard, a private, historic and rundown place on South 200th called Hillgrove Cemetery.

You won’t find Hillgrove on many maps, because, like its 360 residents, it’s no longer living. It’s private, it’s fenced off, yet once you look at the chain link barrier and barbed wire, it’s obvious that people find ways to get in to do whatever living people do in graveyards full of dead strangers.

We too found our way into Hillgrove recently (how could we not this time of year?), and despite forgetting to wear boots (our Chuck Taylors got soaked but oddly, we didn’t care) yet managing to be very careful and respectful, we took numerous photographs, which we built into a “Sound Slideshow” to a public domain song from 1910, the era when this site was in its heyday.

But before we present our photographic and audio tribute, we’d like to share our personal observations of Hillgrove:

It was a sad place, and not just because it was full of dead bodies – it’s in disrepair, with missing, crooked and broken tombstones, years of neglect and evidence of vandalism.

Historic, old graves with unique stone markers ranging from the earliest burial (at least that we saw) in 1890 to the most recent in 2005. Some tombstones have been restored, while many are clearly without any markings (several we discovered only by stepping into indentations in the grass).

Here’s some info on it courtesy Highline Historical Society Executive Director Cyndi Upthegrove:

Hillgrove Cemetery is owned by the Hillgrove Cemetery Association, comprised of the remaining families that own the property. I don’t believe anyone famous is buried there, but a large number of local pioneer families are. It is in disrepair because the people that remain of those families are quite elderly and cannot physically maintain it themselves, and the city of SeaTac and the Port won’t maintain it because it isn’t theirs. SeaTac has occasionally mowed for them and helped to build a retaining wall at the left entrance when the bank slumped one time and remains started spilling out.

From what I understand, there are about 360 souls there. They consist of veterans from both the North and the South from the Civil War, the Spanish American War, both WWI and WWII, Korea and the first Iraq War. Their extended families are also buried there.

About 12 years ago a teacher at Highline HS teaching at-risk students taught a local history class and they really responded to it. These were very bright students “at risk” of dropping out. So she took them over to the cemetery to show it to them and they told her, “We know about this place. We come over here to drink.” Together with her, the Society acquired a grant to pay for her project. So she got them to clean it up as a class project. They dug up buried headstones, mowed, learned about the people buried there, mapped it and tended it for a couple of years. After they had invested so much time and care into it, they wouldn’t let anyone else go in there and mess with it.

The most recent, from 2005.

Then they graduated and moved on, and she quit teaching that class and things kind of reverted to how they were. We have retained some of the records and the Association has the rest.

Recently a paranormal investigation group contacted me to see if they could go in and look for ghosts. I referred them to the Association and I think they did some kind of investigation there, but we weren’t given their results. Occasionally a Boy Scout will work there building benches, or mowing and grooming the place as an Eagle Scout project.

We did several bus tours of “The historic sites of Highline” a few years ago and Hillgrove was a stop on the tour. People found it very interesting. I have always wished that we could engage the various cities and veterans groups to hold their Memorial and Veteran’s Day commemorations there rather than in schools and community centers, but other heads prevail.

I have always wished I had the funding for the Society to take care of the place for the community, but I don’t.

Walking around a decaying graveyard isn’t really creepy, or new to us – in college we used to visit one that was near our house, and this Reporter has always been fascinated with the dead and how the living treat them. Especially Hispanic culture and their “Day of the Dead” festivities, which involve spending the night in graveyards, setting up elaborate altars, offering food, wearing bizarre (and to me, really cool) costumes, and believing that, for one night on Nov. 2nd, their dearly departed dead relatives and loved ones come back and visit with them.

With those sentiments in mind, here’s our “SoundSlideshow” tribute to Hillgrove Cemetery and the historic people who are buried there, may they Rest In Peace:

Click to Play Scott Schaefer’s SoundSlideshow

According to the King County Sheriff’s Department, a fiery car crash early Wednesday morning (Sept. 23rd) claimed the lives of three people in SeaTac when the car they were in ran off the road, slammed into a building and burst into flames.

The deadly accident occurred around 3:30am, along 8th Ave South by South 192nd Street near Sea-Tac Airport (see map below), according to Sgt. John Urquhart. The three victims were the only occupants in the car, and likely won’t be identified for another day or two.

According to Urquhart, speed was a factor in the fatal crash.

The car was apparently driving south at high speeds on 8th Ave South near South 192nd when it crossed the center line, hit a support cable next to a utility pole, careened through some brush, struck a tree and then a building, where it caught fire and burned, killing the occupants inside, Urquhart said.

Urquhart added that there was no evidence yet that the crash was the result of street racing, which has been a problem in the area recently.

Here’s a photo taken by Janet Grella Wednesday afternoon of flowers placed where the accident occurred:

View Larger Map

Des Moines native Tom Pfaeffle, who was tragically shot and killed in July, will be memorialized on the evening of Thursday, August 13th at The Moore Theater in Seattle.

Doors will open at 5pm, and everyone is welcome.

Pfaeffle, an acclaimed 30-year veteran sound engineer, worked with bands like Nirvana, The Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Heart and many others.

According to a website set up as a tribute:

We’ll be celebrating the night in the only way Tom would’ve wanted. With great stories, music & friends

All proceeds from the evening will go to the Pfaeffle family. There will be no ticketing, we ask that you donate whatever you can.

We’d like to thank The Seattle Theater Group, Triamp Group and The Art Institute of Seattle for their generosity.

For those of you who are unable to attend, please feel free to use this site as a place to share memories, stories, songs and anything else you’d like to share in remembering Tom, his life and his work.

The site also gives this recap of Tom’s life:

On Friday, July 17th, a loving wife lost her husband, a family lost their father, students lost their teacher and friends lost a smiling face they could always count on. We all lost something that this world has far too few of… a generous, caring, sincere, heartfelt person who gave all he could to those who became a part of his life.

Tom was a great man to many people for many different reasons. We’ve put up this website to honor the memories we have of him and to come together to celebrate his life and contributions to our collective successes, creativity and happiness.

Anyone who knew Tom knew that the single most important part of his life was his family. A trust has been set up in their name to help provide some support. We ask that you give what you can.

Tom’s generosity knew no limits. This is our chance to show that not only was Tom a generous person but he knew how to surround himself with people of equal character and generosity.

We hope the trust not only provides the family with support now but will continue to provide for them in the future.

Here’s a poster with more info:

View Larger Map

According to KING-TV, a scuba diver was killed in an accident at Redondo Beach Sunday afternoon (June 28th).

Des Moines police say that a Tukwila man, around 60-years old, was diving with a friend off shore in waters about 80 feet deep when he went into distress. His buddy was unable to bring him to the surface.

Another diver helped bring the man up and the two tried to revive him, but they were unsuccessful.

The diver’s identity has not yet been released.