Memorial bench installed for man killed last spring at Bellingham’s Boulevard Park
After months of planning, a memorial bench is officially installed at Boulevard Park in Bellingham to honor lost community member Henry Howard King, who was killed on the boardwalk between Boulevard Park and Taylor Dock in March of 2023.
King was experiencing homelessness at the time of his death and was well-loved in the local community. He was a familiar face at Boulevard Park, where he was known to sell sports cards and frequently engage in positive conversation with people walking by.
Fernando Gonzalez, who manages the Bellingham Metro News site on Facebook, told The Bellingham Herald for a previous story that he organized a GoFundMe campaign as a tribute to King, even though he didn’t know him personally.
“It was just the Bellingham thing to do. This community has always been about helping people in need with no questions asked,” Gonzalez previously told The Herald in an email.
Gonzalez said the effort raised $2,245 in three hours. About $700 of that was forwarded to another fundraising campaign for King’s funeral expenses. The rest was used for the bench at the waterfront park.
The city of Bellingham prioritized King’s memorial bench, Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department Director Nicole Oliver previously told The Herald.
“We made an exception and fast-tracked the donation ahead of other projects,” Oliver told The Herald.
King was shot to death on the boardwalk between Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park from multiple gunshot wounds around 4 a.m. on March 12, 2023. His body and belongings were found in the water, offshore near Taylor Dock.
Elijah James Belmont, 22, of Marysville, was charged Dec. 4, 2023 in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of premeditated first-degree murder for King’s death after allegedly confessing to shooting and killing King, according to previous reporting by The Bellingham Herald.
Belmont’s murder charge includes an aggravating factor that states Belmont committed the crime while armed with a firearm, according to court records.
Belmont was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 6, and booked into the Whatcom County Jail with bail set at $1.5 million.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
