Man pleads guilty to 2021 shooting death at Bellingham homeless encampment
A man has pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a 27-year-old man in a homeless tent encampment behind Walmart in Bellingham in early September 2021.
Travis William Hamilton, 40, pleaded guilty in Whatcom County Superior Court on Jan. 25 to one count of second-degree manslaughter for the Sept. 3, 2021 shooting death of 27-year-old Scott Dobson.
Dobson’s death was ruled a homicide by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office, which determined the gunshot wound Dobson sustained could not have been self-inflicted, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
Hamilton had previously been charged with one count of second-degree murder, but his charges were amended down as part of an agreed plea deal between the prosecuting and defense attorneys, according to court records.
His sentencing hearing has been set for Feb. 12.
As part of the plea deal, the prosecuting attorney is expected to recommend Hamilton be sentenced to six years and three months in prison, with 1.5 years of probation, court documents show.
In exchange for a reduction in the criminal charge, the attorneys and Hamilton have agreed to an exceptional prison sentence above the standard range.
Hamilton’s standard range, based on previous criminal history and the nature of his charge, is between one year and nine months in prison to two years and three months in prison, court records state.
Restitution has not yet been determined in the case.
Hamilton also resolved a separate, unrelated criminal case from 2020. He pleaded guilty Jan. 25 to amended charges of third-degree theft for stealing a black wagon used to haul trash from a convenience store’s private dumpster area. The wagon was valued at $300, court documents state.
Hamilton had previously been charged with second-degree burglary, but his charge was reduced as part of an overarching agreement resolving all of Hamilton’s pending criminal cases, including the manslaughter case, court documents state.
His sentencing in the theft case is expected to occur at the same time as his sentencing in the manslaughter case.
The shooting
Shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2021, the Bellingham Police Department responded to the 4200 block of Meridian Street for the report of a person with a gunshot wound to the chest located in a tent at one of the encampments behind Walmart.
Law enforcement and fire personnel went into the woods behind Walmart and found Dobson, who was determined to be dead, inside a tent. Two firearms were also found inside the tent with Dobson, according to court records.
A witness, whose camp was near Hamilton’s, told police they heard a gunshot and ran over to Hamilton’s camp. The witness said they told Hamilton he needed to call 911, which he did, and then walked over to the roadway to direct law enforcement into the encampment.
The witness told law enforcement that when they ran to Hamilton’s camp following the gunshot, they saw Hamilton standing roughly 10 to 12 feet outside the front door of the tent where Dobson was found. The witness told police they saw a .22-caliber Ruger semi-automatic rifle leaning up against a post beside Hamilton, and that they also saw Dobson lying on the ground, crawling toward the tent, the court records state.
The witness told police they did not see any other people coming or going from Hamilton’s camp.
In an interview with detectives, Hamilton said he was sitting in a blue folding chair at his camp and was awoken by the sound of a gunshot. Hamilton told police he saw Dobson lying on the ground in front of him complaining of a gunshot wound, the court records state.
Hamilton told police that Dobson said he was unaware of who shot him, but said he was tired and wanted something to drink. Hamilton told police Dobson then crawled from the ground onto a bed inside of Hamilton’s tent.
Hamilton told police he could then hear Dobson’s breathing, which was deep and raspy, court documents state.
A search warrant was served on the area, and crime scene investigators found an additional .22-caliber rifle, spent .22 casings, and .22 and 7mm rifle rounds inside Hamilton’s tent and with his belongings.
One of the two .22-caliber rifles contained the same type of ammunition that was found in Dobson’s body during an autopsy.
The rifle that had the matching ammunition was found inside a bicycle trailer, which was a different location from where the witness had reported seeing it after the shooting, according to court records.
Hamilton has remained incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail since his Sept. 3, 2021 arrest for Dobson’s shooting death, in lieu of $1 million bail, court and jail records show.
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 12:15 PM.
