Everett man suspected of killing girlfriend was on probation for wife's murder

EVERETT, Wash. -- A man suspected of beating a woman to death last weekend was on supervision for killing his wife by beating and strangling her. During that investigation, he also admitted to killing a co-worker and starting a fire to conceal the crime, police said.

The 62-year-old man on Monday confessed to killing a woman whose body was found Sunday near Everett’s waterfront.

The body of Shannon Yeager, 46, was found along Terminal Ave. near an access trail to Pigeon Creek.

Everett police say the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office determined her death was a homicide.



“During the course of the investigation, detectives contacted several people with information about the victim and spoke with a male Shannon was dating," a police news release read. "The male, a 62 year-old from Everett, was interviewed by detectives and confessed to killing Shannon. He has been booked into the Snohomish County Jail on murder charges."

Q13 News is not identifying the suspect because he has not been charged with a crime. He is expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon.

Here's the account given by the investigating officer in documents obtained by Q13 News:

Burlington Northern-Santa Fe called police around 9:30 a.m. to report a body found along the tracks near Pigeon Creek Trail. First responders discovered the body of a woman in her 40s.

Detectives interviewed a man near the crime scene who told them he had bumped into the victim, who had been injured but was still alive, around 4 a.m. He said he found a friend who had a cell phone and asked that person to call 911. Detectives said it was unclear if anyone actually called for help.

Investigators discovered that Yeager had been dating an Everett man and went to his home to interview him. The detective researched the man and found out he was under Department of Corrections supervision after being convicted of killing his wife in 2003. Records show that during that investigation, he admitted to killing a co-worker and tried to conceal the crime by starting a fire.

The man was taken to the precinct for further questioning. At first, he told them he met up with Yeager at a bus station, had sex with her and then parted ways.

Detectives released the man, but followed him in a patrol car while they worked to get probable cause for his arrest. After interviewing his roommates, officers took the suspect into custody for investigation of second-degree murder.

During the suspect's second interview, detectives say he confessed to killing Yeager after an argument. He told them he assumed she was dead and headed home to change out of his clothing. The suspect later returned to the scene of the crime to conceal the body, he said.