34 years after firefighter died in blaze, accused arsonist is charged, WA officials say

A 1987 blaze that was “intentionally set” killed a Washington firefighter, and now a man has been charged with murder, officials say.

Gary Parks, a 48-year-old Everett firefighter, died after getting separated from his team while responding to a fire at Everett Community College just after 3 a.m. on Feb. 16, 1987, according to media reports and a news release from the City of Everett.

“The generation of Everett Firefighters who worked with Gary have retired, but the memory of his loss is woven into the culture of the Everett Fire Department,” Dave DeMarco, Everett fire chief, said in the release.

The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office charged Elmer Nash Jr., 47, of Snohomish with first-degree murder Thursday after detectives found probable cause linking him to the cold case, according to the release.

While fighting the blaze, Parks got separated from the five other firefighters, becoming “trapped inside the building, where he perished,” the release said.

“Several potential suspects, all juvenile males, were initially identified and thought to have entered the library through an open window and deliberately started a fire in conjunction with a burglary,” the release said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the fire was set intentionally the night of the incident and confirmed it was arson again in 2020.

“Throughout the years numerous investigators reviewed the case but were unable to make substantial progress,” the release said.

An arson detective took on the case in 2016 and “compiled information that led to multiple interviews with” Nash after reviewing the evidence, officials said.

“It was during the interviews that [Nash] discussed the fire and provided details that only someone involved would know,” the release said.

Nash eventually confessed that he started the fire “and expressed concern that he hadn’t intended to hurt anyone,” the release said.

During his arraignment hearing Thursday, Nash pleaded guilty to the charges, according to the release.

“After 34 years, the City of Everett will finally see someone held accountable for the loss of our Firefighter Gary Parks, who died in the service of our community,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said in the release. “I commend our city teams for working tirelessly to crack the case and continue towards resolution in this tragic event.”

This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 2:48 PM with the headline "34 years after firefighter died in blaze, accused arsonist is charged, WA officials say."