YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - A Yakima man was arraigned on three aggravated murder charges Wednesday in the bludgeoning deaths of three people, including a 98-year-old woman, in a community west of Yakima last month.
No bail was set for Kevin Lee Harper, 28, at his arraignment in Yakima County Superior Court. The charges carry the possibility of the death penalty.
Investigators believe Harper, acting alone, killed the victims while burglarizing their home, possibly in an effort to pay for a drug habit.
Authorities received a telephone call late last week about Harper, but only tied him to the murders when he was arrested on domestic violence charges over the weekend, said Stew Graham, chief of detectives for the Yakima County Sheriff's Office.
The bodies of William Goggin, 61, his wife Pauline, 60, and his mother Bettye Goggin, 98, were discovered at their home Feb. 18 in the gated Falcon Ridge community 10 miles west of Yakima.
A co-worker called authorities after William Goggin failed to show for work. The victims' vehicle also was discovered in a pond several miles away.
Investigators recovered several items that can be tied to the victims' home, Graham said. They included identity cards and documents for Pauline Goggin and two handguns, one of which was believed to belong to the victims.
"The murders were committed probably in the course of a burglary at the residence," Graham said at a news conference Wednesday announcing the arrest. "We haven't been able to establish any connection between the victims and Harper."
He said Harper was believed to have entered the home through an unlocked door. An autopsy concluded the victims died of blunt force trauma.
Harper has an extensive criminal history, with seven felony convictions since 1998.
The latest charges include three counts of first-degree robbery with a firearm, theft of a firearm and unlawful possession.
Yakima County Prosecutor Jim Hagarty said the death penalty is being considered in the case but that no decision has been made on whether to seek it.
Graham said family members of the victims were told of the arrest Tuesday and seemed pleased, even as they were "dealing with this personal tragedy."
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/117315143.html
If he's not convicted of the murders he should be executed for the mullett.
Bookmarks