Lacey police brief council: two suspects arrested in Nov. 14 double homicide; investigation ongoing

Lacey Police Chief Armada briefed the council at the Nov. 25 work session on the investigation into a double homicide that occurred Nov. 14 near 24th Avenue and College Street.

The chief said officers found two men with gunshot injuries just before 2 a.m.; despite rough weather and limited witnesses, detectives canvassed the neighborhood, obtained and executed preservation letters and search warrants, followed digital leads and developed suspects quickly. Detectives conducted surveillance that led investigators to take a suspect into custody in Wenatchee and later to arrest a second individual; the investigation included multi-agency participation and assistance from the FBI's digital task force.

"Within 48 hours, detectives obtained and executed several search warrants...we developed and identified a potential suspect and worked on locating that person...taking him in custody the following day with the assistance of Wenatchee's PD," Chief Armada said. He added both suspects are being held without bail and that the case has been filed by the prosecutor's office. The chief stressed the incident was not random: "This was not a random occurrence. The victims were targeted in this incident," and investigators believe the suspects misidentified the victims.

Chief Armada said the department has spent more than 400 hours of overtime on the case so far and continues to analyze digital and forensic evidence. He thanked the public for tips and camera footage, and the council acknowledged the department's multiagency coordination.

Next steps: detectives will continue evidence analysis and follow leads; the prosecutor's office has filed charges and the investigation remains active.