A 16-year-old from Washington state who was reported missing on Wednesday has been found safe. Gabriel Michael Davies, the teen boy who vanished on his way to football practice at his high school, in a turn of events, now faces charges of murder of his mother’s ex-fiance.
According to The Chronicle, Davies and another 16-year-old male were arrested by police on suspicion of burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, and second-degree murder, which involved the death of a 51-year-old man, who was found fatally shot in his home. Pierce County Sheriff’s Office announced that witnesses said they spotted Davies entering Millersylvania State Park. The following day, the Sheriff’s Department contacted the Thurston Sheriff’s office to inquire about “other investigations and interests”, New York Daily News.
Davies’ car was found on Thursday night and police said that the vehicle was in a rather suspicious state. Traces of blood was all over the vehicle and the teenager’s cellphone shattered all over the ground.
The identity of the 51-year-old victim has not yet been released publicly but sources from KING-TV said the victim was reportedly the ex-fiance of the missing teenager’s mother. The victim was found dead in his home in Orting. Police were called to perform a welfare check on the victim when he failed to show up for work for four days. This is a common practice in the U.S. where law enforcement officers respond to a request to check on the safety and well-being of a person, typically requested for cases like abnormal absences from work without notice.
Authorities said he had suffered a gunshot wound, however, no firearm was found nearby. The deputies on the scene called for detectives as well as forensic investigators to examine the scene which led them to spend two nights processing and collecting evidence from the man’s home.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department has yet to release any other detail regarding the murder, including information on whether the teenager knew the victim, but they said there is “probable cause” to arrest both teenagers. Davies and his supposed accomplice are currently being held at the Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center.
