Just in from Seattle Police – that video and this update:
– Seattle Police homicide detectives have developed a ‘person of interest’ that they believe may be connected to the brutal double stabbing that occurred on July 19 in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood. A 39-year-old woman was killed in the attack. The surviving victim, a 36-year-old woman is recovering from her injuries.
Detectives have uncovered surveillance video of a man that they are now calling a ‘person of interest’. Detectives say that the identity of the man is unknown and they need your assistance to identify him. At this point in the investigation, he is being sought for questioning only. His hair may be shorter than depicted in the attached video. He may or may not still have the brown and white pit bull with him. Detectives believe that the man may frequent South Seattle, as well as Auburn and Federal Way.
Detectives have previously released a sketch of the person they believe responsible for the crime. The suspect is described as a black male, 20-30 years old, 5’10, with a medium brown complexion.
Anyone with information regarding this individual is urged to call the Seattle Police Homicide tip-line at 206 233-5000. Those wishing to remain anonymous are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-TIPS (8477) or text TIP486 with your information to CRIMES (274637).
Last night, friends and neighbors gathered outside South Park Community Center to remember the murder victim, Teresa Butz; here’s our story and photos. Meantime, here again is the previously released sketch mentioned in the police statement above:
METRO BUDGET: We’ll be downtown at 11 am to hear County Executive Kurt Triplett discuss the latest on Metro’s budget troubles, so we can find out how that might affect transit service. Look for live updates here.
ENCAMPMENT EVICTION? We’re awaiting word of whether organizers of the 2nd SW/Highland Park Way camp that calls itself “Nickelsville” will get a court order holding off eviction from the state-owned land. If not, they say they’ll be packing up starting around 5 pm.
DELRIDGE PLAYGROUND’S GRAND OPENING: Six days after a volunteer army built it, tonight kids get to play on it, it opens tonight at 6:30. Look for a story later with our “Digital Darkroom” interns from Delridge Community Center taking one more look at the amazing playground-building day.
REMEMBERING TERESA BUTZ: 7:30 tonight in the grassy area between the parking lot and ballfields at South Park Community Center (map), a memorial for the woman stabbed to death in her South Park home last Sunday morning. More here.
We received this announcement from Beth Yockey Jones, a West Seattleite who used to live next door to Teresa Butz, the South Park woman killed by a man who broke into her home and attacked her and her partner early Sunday. (Ms. Butz is shown at left in a photo from Facebook.) From Beth:
The South Park Community Center has graciously volunteered to host a candlelight memorial vigil so that friends and neighbors can gather and celebrate Teresa’s memory.
We will gather at 7.30pm on Thursday July 23rd, on the South Park Community Center ball fields and share memories and celebrate Teresa’s life. If you would like to say a few words, there will be an opportunity to do so.
If you need more information, you can e-mail Beth: bethyockeyjones@gmail.com Meantime, no new information on the case today – aside from police adding one note to the description of the killer – saying he had “blotchy skin.” Get the latest here.NOTE: Beth added in comments that the gathering will be in the “grassy area between the parking lot and softball fields” because of a prescheduled event on the field.
That’s the hundreds-strong, standing-room-only crowd that jammed into South Park Community Center tonight to hear from Seattle Police leadership and Mayor Nickels, less than two days after a terrifying attack that left one woman dead and another seriously hurt: A man broke into their western South Park home – not far from West Seattle’s eastern edge (map) – and stabbed them while they slept, early Sunday morning. Flowers have been placed outside the home where it happened – we went by just before the meeting:
The same police who patrol West Seattle also handle South Park, so it was a familiar face, Southwest Precinct Captain Joe Kessler, who outlined how his team has responded and will continue to search for the killer:
Most importantly, as we showed you a little earlier tonight, police have just released a sketch of the man they are looking for, believed to have been a stranger to the victims. The description remains – per the SPDBlotter report – “a black male, 20s to early 30s, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, thin muscular build, a thin moustache, and ‘nappy’ hair.” The victims have not been publicly identified — authorities say, “to protect their privacy” — but friends and neighbors have said they were a couple and, according to this Times story, about to be married. Police did allude to the victims being members of “a sexual minority” and as such say they have not ruled out the possibility this could have been a hate crime, though they do not have any evidence of that. Read on for more of what was said at the meeting:Read More
(West Seattle Grand Parade 2009 Hi-Yu Float photo by Christopher Boffoli) WEST SEATTLE HI-YU SENIOR COURT CORONATION: Who will ride on the Hi-Yu float in next year’s parades (among other commitments and privileges)? Tonight, the new West Seattle Hi-Yu Senior Court is chosen in an event with entertainment, excitement and suspense — 7 pm, West Seattle High School Theater. Tickets are available at the door ($10 adults/$5 students and all children 12/under). KOMO TV’s Elisa Jaffe emcees. (Here’s our coverage of last Friday’s Junior Court Coronation.)
SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE: 7 pm at Camp Long; main presentation tonight, the group’s website says, will be: “Robert Burns of Envision Homes … giving an informative nuts and bolts presentation about budget conscious and low-maintenance rainwater catchment and green roofs.”
LOW TIDE: Good tidewalking conditions the next four days – with a minus 3.0 at 10 am today – then a little lower tomorrow and Wednesday – here’s the chart.
3:47 PM UPDATE: Police have added a little more information about the case via their SPDBlotter site – both victims were asleep at the time of the attack; the one who was killed was 37, the one who escaped is 40.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:41 AM: We covered this incident overnight on Twitter, where we often post about out-of-West Seattle news because nobody else is up covering news at that hour: Someone broke into a home in South Park and stabbed two women, killing one. (Here’s a map to where it happened.) Now the Southwest Precinct (which handles South Park as well as West Seattle) is asking that information about the attack be posted far and wide – so we’re publishing the “informational bulletin” just forwarded by Sgt. Jeff Durden:
At about 0300 hours, an unknown suspect entered a residence in the 700 block of S. Rose Street. The two occupants were attacked, and one has since died from injuries sustained in the attack. The second victim is undergoing medical treatment at an area hospital for her injuries.
The suspect is described as:
• black male,
• late 20’s to early 30’s in age
• He is approximately 5’-9” to 6’-0” tall,
• with a thin muscular build.
• The suspect has a thin moustache,
• “nappy” hair.
The suspect is still at large. The Seattle Police Homicide Unit is investigating this incident, and asks that citizens call the homicide unit at (206) 684-5550 with any information, or King County Crime Stoppers at (206) 343-2020 or send a text to “crimes” (274637).
Citizens are asked to call 911 to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, and to contact the Seattle Police Department Crime Prevention Unit at (206) 684-7724 for additional information on personal safety. During warm weather, citizens are reminded of the necessity to secure all doors and windows in their homes.
The public is invited to a community meeting at the South Park Community Center, 8319 8th Avenue South, on Monday, July 20, at 7:00 pm.
Since West Seattle is home to city parks big (Alki and Lincoln) and small (California Place, Morgan Junction), not to mention more than a few inbetween (like Fauntleroy, at left), these are meetings you’ll want to know about: First, Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher is wrapping up a round of “hear from the public” events, and the closest he is getting to West Seattle is a gathering tonight at the South Park Community Center (map), 7 pm. Meantime, the city Parks Board (chaired by Alki’s Jackie Ramels) – meets tomorrow night downtown, and the major topic of West Seattle interest will be the board’s recommendation on whether to change some parks’ operating hours. Read on for toplines of the West Seattle-specific recommendations (all detailed in this briefing paper) …Read More
Another update today on Coreena Wolford, the 16-year-old Chief Sealth High School student who suffered major injuries in a crash by Highway 509 three weeks ago, as she drove from West Seattle to South Park to help tutor students in the READ program at Concord Elementary. Coreena’s aunt Danica e-mailed to say that her niece is now in a Burien rehabilitation facility: “She is recovering, but has a long, hard road ahead of her.” She adds that the family is looking for witnesses to the May 6th crash: “We are looking for any witnesses who may have seen the accident take place, not the aftermath. We need to get information for insurance purposes. Please e-mail me at danicacandy@hotmail.com with any information.” Family and friends also are continuing to update this website with news on Coreena’s recovery.
Concord Elementary is in South Park but it’s part of the West Seattle “region” of Seattle Public Schools, so some local families’ kids are there, and we’re sharing this: KIRO is reporting on a suspected “home invasion” nearby (800 block of South Henderson, kitty corner from the rear of the school; here’s a map), and because of the police investigation, the students at Concord are reported to be “sheltering in place.” Here’s the latest from KIRO, online.
12:19 PM UPDATE: Police are still searching the neighborhood, with K-9, according to live coverage that’s on right now. (Side note, South Park is part of the coverage area for police from West Seattle’s Southwest Precinct.)
2:16 PM: Seattle Public Schools spokesperson David Tucker confirms the “shelter in place” is over. We will work to find out the status of the investigation.
2 more notes that trace back to the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting, although one is a new development just within the past few hours:
CAR-STRIPPING SUSPECT NABBED: Lt. Steve Paulsen told the group last night that officers hoped to make an arrest shortly in a case featured in the Washington’s Most Wanted reports on channel 13 – a restored 1967 Mustang was ravaged by someone who broke into the the South Park trailer where it was stored. (Read the original story here.) Southwest Precinct officers tracked down a suspect in Renton and Lt. Paulsen just confirmed to WSB that they arrested him this morning.
WANT TO KNOW IF A SEX OFFENDER LIVES NEAR YOU? We have mentioned this before, and the link has been in the “resources” section at the bottom of the WSB Crime Watch page for months, but it came up at last night’s Crime Prevention Council meeting so we want to share it again: To find out whether a registered sex offender – someone convicted of a serious sex crime – lives near you, there’s a great statewide search website you can use: Here’s the link. (There are three “levels” of sex offender – 2 and 3 are the most serious, and those are the ones you can search for by using that site.)
Teresa Butz, 
Most importantly, as we showed you a little earlier tonight, police have just released a sketch of the man they are looking for, believed to have been a stranger to the victims. The description remains – per 
(California Place, Morgan Junction), not to mention more than a few inbetween (like Fauntleroy, at left), these are meetings you’ll want to know about: First, Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher is wrapping up a round of “hear from the public” events, and the closest he is getting to West Seattle is a gathering tonight at the South Park Community Center (
Another update today on Coreena Wolford, the 16-year-old 
Concord Elementary is in South Park but it’s part of the West Seattle “region” of
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