Whatcom man arrested on robbery charges related to an earlier shooting death in Bellingham
A Ferndale man found in a manure pond Monday, Oct. 31, was arrested on charges of robbery and drug possession related to an earlier shooting death in Bellingham, according to police.
Darian J. Polee, 26, allegedly conspired with Isaiah J. Mayshack to rob Matthew J. Roberts, on Oct. 16, according to an email from Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy.
Polee allegedly knew Roberts was visiting from Oregon and had “a large quantity of narcotics,” according to Murphy.
“As a direct result of this pre-planned robbery in which Polee conspired to steal Roberts’ drugs by threat with a firearm, Mayshack sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, and Roberts sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound to the upper torso and required lifesaving medical treatment,” Murphy said.
Mayshack, 31 of Bellingham, died at the hospital Oct. 16. After receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the shooting, Roberts, 28 of Eugene, Oregon, was arrested Oct. 22 is being held on $1 million bail at Whatcom County jail on charges of second-degree murder.
Polee was found Monday in Ferndale, waist-deep in a farmer’s manure bog without shoes, Murphy said. Police were developing a plan, when he called out he was cold and crawled out. He was arrested and taken to St. Joseph hospital for treatment regarding the cold. When he was medically cleared, Polee was booked into Whatcom County Jail, according to Murphy.
He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree robbery and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and is being held without bail, according to Whatcom county Jail booking records.
Agents from the Bellingham Police Department, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Ferndale Police Department, Lummi Police Department and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter responded when Polee was sighted.
According to Murphy:
▪ Polee allegedly told Mayshack to arm himself with a handgun and wait to confront Roberts with the weapon and demand the narcotics with force.
▪ Polee then dropped Mayshack off at the 2300 block of Valencia Street.
▪ Polee then picked up Roberts from a store on Alabama Street and drove him to the 2300 block of Valencia Street, where Mayshack was waiting.
▪ Mayshack walked up to the vehicle and attempted to use the gun to threaten Roberts into giving up the narcotics.
▪ Roberts allegedly pulled out his own gun and fatally shot Mayshack in the chest.
▪ More gunfire broke out, and Roberts was shot in his upper torso.
▪ Roberts called 911 while Polee allegedly drove away without helping either man, according to Murphy.
Investigating officers reportedly found three bags of narcotics around Roberts, two of which field tested positive for the presumptive presence of cocaine and weighed 47.7 grams and 48.8 grams each. The third bag contained 1,000 blue pills that tested positive for the presumptive presence of fentanyl. A handgun was reportedly found directly underneath Roberts.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 10:45 AM.
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