What’s the latest in those 2 Bellingham park homicides? Here’s what police are saying
While there have been no arrests in two violent homicides in the city’s parks over the last 2 1/2 months, there doesn’t appear to be any immediate threat to the public, police say.
Henry King, 48, died from multiple gunshot wounds around 4 a.m. on March 12, on the boardwalk between Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park. He was found offshore near the dock, and his death was ruled a homicide by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office.
King was homeless in Bellingham at the time of his death and was known to sell sports cards in Boulevard Park.
As of May 26, there had still been no suspect identified or arrest made in the case, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy.
“At this point there doesn’t seem to be an ongoing danger to the community, leading one to believe the homicide of Mr. King was an isolated event,” Murphy said in an email to The Bellingham Herald.
Though, Murphy said, detectives are working to gather more information to know that for sure.
Isaac Ruiz, 37, of Mount Vernon, died after being shot in the neck around 7 p.m. on May 15, at Lake Padden Park. Many people were at the park at the time and witnessed the shooting. The park was closed from the time of the shooting until the next morning.
“As with the King case, it appears the Lake Padden shooting was isolated to the specific group at the park, not a person shooting indiscriminately at a crowd for no apparent reason,” Murphy said.
No additional information about the crimes is being released at this time in order to “protect the investigation and to give our detectives the best possible chance to find and apprehend the suspect and thus (determine) a possible motive for both of these cases,” Murphy said.
Murphy added that a priority of the Bellingham Police Department is to find justice for the victims’ families.
“If there was an ongoing, immediate threat to the community we would provide the necessary information,” Murphy said.
Anyone who was in the area of either one of the crimes, witnessed anything or heard anything is asked to contact the Bellingham Police. People can contact police at www.cob.org/tips or by calling the tipline at 360-778-8611 or 360-778-8791.
This story was originally published May 30, 2023 at 2:15 PM.
