Man sought as material witness in Lacey triple homicide booked into jail on murder charges

LACEY, Wash. -- The Thurston County Sheriff's Office says a second man is being held on murder charges after three people were found dead last month after a shooting near Lacey.

Deputies said Enrique "Ricky" Lamere was booked into the Thurston County Jail on Wednesday for 1st degree murder, two counts of second degree murder, attempted murder and 1st degree burglary while armed with a deadly weapon.

Lamere had previously been sought by investigators as a material witness in the case.

Deputiess took Dugan Lawton into custody on June 29, a week after the murders.

The coroner identified the three people killed as 36 year-old Gerald M. Berkey of Elma, Washington, 28 year-old Jackson L. Edens of Olympia, Washington, and 31 year-old Terron R. McGrath of Olympia.

Investigators are trying to determine if drug dealing played a role in the shooting that also left one man injured.

Thurston County Chief Deputy Dave Pearsall says investigators found half a pound of methamphetamine, heroin, thousands of dollars in cash and about half a dozen firearms in a travel trailer on Dutterow Rd SE where the two men and a woman were found dead on June 22.