SEATTLE – Authorities have arrested one person in connection with human remains discovered near the University of Washington in June.
But the investigation is continuing and that further arrests are possible. The suspect, 32, is charged with murder and sexual assault.
Prosecutors filed murder charges against Charles W. Becker on Friday, after he was detained on Tuesday in connection with the disappearance of a woman.
The details of this case are disturbing
According to records filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney, Becker is charged with murdering 56-year-old Mavis K. Nelson.
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He concealed her remains in a closet, and desecrating them over the period of a month.
On June 20, 2022, Nelson’s bones were discovered on a path between Ravenna Avenue NE and NE 45th Street. A month after she went missing in Seattle, the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
Low-resolution footage, according to detectives, shows two people exiting a car at the spot where the bodies were discovered and tossing something over a bridge into a park path below. Trail users discovered the “horrific sight” and notified the police.
The vehicle seen in the video has not yet been identified
Authorities claim that police took fingerprints from the victim’s residence. They subsequently discovered mobile phone records between her and Becker.
It leads them to identify him as a person of interest.
His DNA was already on file with the national CODIS database from a prior manslaughter conviction. So they were able to link him to DNA evidence at the scene.
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That conviction was for the death of Becker’s 4-month-old baby in 2015. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Police say that the crime lab also found “other unknown DNA profiles” on nitrile gloves taken from the scene.
DNA Discoveries
Police are seeking more suspects in light of the new dumping video and DNA discoveries. Investigators told East County Gazette, “That element of the investigation is open and continuing, and we will be unable to offer any context.”
When detectives came to work on Oct. 4 for an interview, they took Becker into custody.
He said things that only someone who was involved in Nelson’s kidnapping, death, dismemberment, and body disposal would know.
He gave “various versions about how and when Nelson died” and was consistent in “denying that she died strangely within his residence.”
CSI officers obtained a search warrant at Becker’s house at the same time as the interview and discovered blood in various areas within the flat.
In order to discover the murder weapon, more forensic testing will be performed on material obtained at the site.
Becker Remains in Jail on $5 Million Bail
Prosecutors said, “The defendant’s extraordinarily distressing. Savage acts in this case, coupled with his criminal past and warrant history. They make it quite evident that he constitutes a considerable threat to the community.”
East County Gazette met with the sister of the victim. She informs us that the victim’s name is Mavis Nelson, also known as Mavis Kindness, but her family and children refer to her as Boots.
Ernestine Morning Owl said, “My brother gave her this moniker since she loved the song “These Boots Walk All Over You.”
Next Court Date is Set for October 20
Nelson’s elder sister is Morning Owl. She claims that Mavis was a member of both the Yakima and Crow tribes.
Her sister, according to Morning Owl, was wonderful and friendly to everyone.
“She was extroverted. She enjoyed having fun. She was a person of independence. She was a powerful person. She was a believer. She was a loving person. She would assist everyone, “She said.
As the family awaits justice, Morning Owl expresses her desire to speak for her sister.
She said, “We feel betrayed because this guy stole her from us.”