Police: Son fatally beat father, kept body in Whatcom County garage

FERNDALE, Wash. — Police say a man near Bellingham beat his father to death in an argument and kept his body in a garage.

The Bellingham Herald reports police responded to a Ferndale home Tuesday because a concerned family member hadn't seen 65-year-old William Koop Jr. for weeks.

Ferndale police say officers spoke with the man's son who reported his father's body was in the garage.

Police say 39-year-old Christopher Koop told officers he argued with his father April 13 over bills, and knocked him unconscious.

Police say the man said he beat his unconscious father to death with a hammer, flashlights and the base of a telephone. Police say he also started to dig a grave in the yard.

Officers booked him into jail on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $1 million.