The landlord accused of killing his two tenants and abandoning their remains in suitcases on a Seattle Beach may have had help in the murd...
The landlord accused of killing his two tenants and abandoning their remains in suitcases on a Seattle Beach may have had help in the murders, court documents reveal.
Michael Lee Dudley, 62, was charged with two counts of murder in the second degree on Monday in connection to the killings of Jessica Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27.
Remains from the pair were found in bags on Alki Beach in West Seattle on June 19.
Court documents describe that Dudley dismembered the pair after killing them, dispersing their bodies in multiple bags throughout various bodies of water.
Michael Lee Dudley, 62, was charged with two counts of murder in the second degree on Monday in connection to the killings of Jessica Lewis, 35, (right) and Austin Wenner, 27 (left)
Dudley allegedly dismembered the pair after killing them, dispersing their bodies in multiple bags throughout various bodies of water, according to court documents
'This process would have taken a lot of time and effort and his willingness to take these extreme steps demonstrates the threat he poses to the community,' charging documents read, KING 5 reports.
The documents further state that the deeds were done 'likely with the aid of others,' with Dr. Kathy Taylor - a state forensic anthropologist - telling Seattle police she believed there were multiple people involved.
Cuts on Lewis and Wenner's bodies were 'disorganized' and appeared to be done in different manners with various devices.
Dudley had previously argued with the pair about payment of their rent, The Seattle Times reported.
TikTok users who found the suitcases containing the victims' dismembered bodies alerted the authorities and posted video online
On the night of their killing, neighbors reportedly heard a man yelling: 'Please don't do this, just let me leave,' before gunshots were fired.
Detectives learned that neighbors had heard gunfire and yelling from inside the house on June 9, ten days before the remains were found, and dialled 911.
But Burien police officers did not get a response from the residence when they arrived.
Probable cause documents said when officers obtained a search warrant, they found bullet holes and blood inside the 'blue room' inside the house.
TikTok users who found the suitcases containing the victims' dismembered bodies alerted the authorities and posted video online.
The footage of their bodies being discovered went viral.
'Something traumatic happened that changed my life,' TikTok user UghHenry wrote in the caption of the video.
The social media user used the hashtags 'crime' and 'murder'.
'We found this black suitcase. We were joking that maybe the suitcase would have money…[But] the smell was overwhelming,' the video captions explain.
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