Fairwood residents' concerns addressed after couple's murder

RENTON -- Chadd Boysen pleaded not guilty in court Thursday to two counts of aggravated murder. But police detectives contend the 26-year-old used a shoelace to strangle his grandparents, Robert and Norma Taylor.

Police say he then ransacked their Fairwood home for valuables, even stealing his grandfather`s wedding ring -- something Boysen never took off.

The deadly attack so brutal that it was a topic at a town hall meeting in Fairwood Thursday night.

Many  residents  from Fairwood and the surrounding areas showed up to the town hall meeting to specifically hear about the case and about public safety in general.

“We are going to use this opportunity to see what is happening,” said Fairwood resident Elaine Haroldson. Some wanted to know why Boysen targeted his grandparents

“We search for those answers as rational human beings, but sometimes those answers are not there,” said King County Sheriff John Urquhart.

The documents indicate that after leaving his grandparents' bodies in a bedroom closet, Boysen went on a shopping spree.

He bought an iPad,  a prepaid cellphone, a laptop computer and a Ford Taurus, all with his grandparents' money.

According to court documents, Boysen, a felon who had just gotten out of prison, had a mental review while in prison. Boysen is described as having a “tendency to be unconcerned and cold hearted” and an "exploitative financial dependence on others” and is often “charming and slick.”

Boysen also has had 11 infractions behind bars, mostly for self mutilation, yet these assessments did not meet the major mental disorder criteria.

“It's tragic when someone like that slips through the cracks and we see the results here in this community,” said King County Councilman Reagan Dunn.

Dunn and Urquhart worked to answer questions and ease concern, saying the couple’s murder was an extraordinary circumstance.

Urquhart pointed out to residents that violent crime is actually down in the Fairwood and Renton areas. It’s property crimes, such as burglaries, that have risen, he said.