Crime

Marysville man pleads guilty to murder for 2023 Boulevard Park killing

A memorial bench for Henry King is installed at Boulevard Park in Bellingham. King was a formerly unhoused and well-loved community member who was shot to death on the boardwalk between Boulevard Park and Taylor Dock on March 12, 2023.
A memorial bench for Henry King is installed at Boulevard Park in Bellingham. King was a formerly unhoused and well-loved community member who was shot to death on the boardwalk between Boulevard Park and Taylor Dock on March 12, 2023. The Bellingham Herald

A Marysville man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in relation to a fatal 2023 shooting in Bellingham on Monday.

Elijah James Belmont, 23, was arrested in late 2023 after allegedly confessing to shooting and killing 48-year-old Henry Howard King of Bellingham in a park. He was origninally charged with premeditated first-degree murder.

Henry King.
Henry King. Provided by the family of Henry King Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald
Elijah James Belmont, 22, of Marysville, Wash., right, makes his first appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
Elijah James Belmont, 22, of Marysville, Wash., right, makes his first appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Denver Pratt The Bellingham Herald

King died on the boardwalk between Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park from multiple gunshot wounds around 4 a.m. March 12, 2023. His body and personal items were found floating in Bellingham Bay about three hours later. According to the state, Belmont and King did not know one another or have a history together.

Belmont’s sentencing is scheduled for Thursday morning in Whatcom County Superior Court.

Editor’s note (May 22): A previous version of this article included an incorrect charge related to the plea deal. Belmont pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

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This story was originally published May 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM.

Hannah Edelman
The Bellingham Herald
Hannah Edelman joined The Bellingham Herald in January 2025 as courts and investigations reporter. Edelman resides in Burlington. Support my work with a digital subscription
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