Chehalis murder suspect held on $5 million bail

May 6-The suspect accused of murdering a male victim near Stan Hedwall Park in Chehalis Tuesday will remain in the Lewis County Jail in lieu of $5 million in bail.

Connor J. Price, 21, learned of the bail amount during his preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Wednesday.

He had been held without bail prior to the hearing.

Price faces one count of first-degree murder punishable by up to life in prison.

During the preliminary hearing, Price's attorney for the day, Rachael Tiller, said she had reviewed the charging information with Price, which consisted of a Class A felony.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Bradley Meagher said Price currently has two active warrants, one out of Lewis County District Court, the other out of Centralia Municipal Court.

Jail records indicate the warrants were issued for failures to appear in court for fourth-degree assault charges.

Meagher said the state's major concern, however, was the violent nature of the offense.

"Plus, it's a homicide," Meagher said, before requesting a bail of $5 million cash or bond.

Meagher did not describe the allegations against Price.

Tiller said that Price had no means to post bail and did not intend to do so.

The defense attorney then asked that Price's arraignment be scheduled for May 14, as requested by Price's future attorney, public defender Don Blair.

Citing Price's lack of financial means, Tiller asked for a bail of no more than $500,000.

Judge J. Andrew Toynbee granted the state's request for $5 million cash or bond and set the arraignment for May 14.

"The rule is it has to be within three days, but because of his counsel's request and the nature of this offense, I'm going to grant that request and set the arraignment beyond the three-day rule, and I take that as a waiver of the right," Toynbee said.

About a dozen or so people attended the hearing in person. Price appeared via video from the Lewis County Jail, as is typical for preliminary hearings in Lewis County Superior Court.

The hearing came less than 24 hours after Price's booking for first-degree murder.

The Lewis County Sheriff's Office began investigating the suspected homicide after finding the victim's body west of the railroad tracks and east and north of the Newaukum River.

Special Services Chief Gabriel Frase told The Chronicle Tuesday that deputies were dispatched to the area of a possibly deceased person at about 1:15 p.m.

According to Frase, at about 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, a family member of the deceased first called to report they had heard from a friend that a relative may be deceased in the area.

The deputies responded to the 1500 block of Rice Road.

"Subsequent investigation determined that the subject appeared to have died by a homicide," Frase said. "Detectives arrived and went ahead and continued the investigation, followed some leads and were able to locate a suspect and take them into custody for murder one."

Frase did not identify the suspect.

In a Tuesday news release, the sheriff's office said deputies noted "signs of trauma" on the victim, and said detectives established probable cause after interviewing the suspect.

The office said there was no further danger to the public.

The probable cause affidavit filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday contains a statement by the lead detective, describing the investigation.

In his statement, the detective said he phoned the initial caller, who reportedly told the detective he had heard his brother had been "taken out."

The detective then spoke with the original source of the information, who reportedly said he had overheard someone at the Chehalis Mission saying the victim had possibly been shot.

The source's girlfriend, however, reportedly said her ex-boyfriend, Price, had mentioned the victim being "beat to death."

The detective reported Price as a person of interest. Soon after, a deputy located Price and arrested him for his two active warrants, according to the affidavit.

The detective interviewed Price at the sheriff's office.

After receiving his Miranda warning, Price allegedly said "something to the effect of he 'did it' and he 'stomped'" the victim, according to the affidavit.

Price explained, allegedly saying he had found the victim on April 29 "passed out drunk on the trail on the other side of the train tracks."

Price allegedly said he hit the victim with a stick, then kicked the victim's head and jaw.

According to the detective's statement, Price said he dragged the victim "by the hands" to a nearby area, left for a few minutes, and then returned to find the victim "holding onto a tree and saying something to the effect of 'help me.'"

Price allegedly said he pushed the victim and again kicked him in the head, before grabbing another stick and striking the victim in the head.

According to the detective's statement, Price said "he did this act alone and had done it because he had just found out that (the victim) had raped a 16-year-old girl.

Price said he burned his clothes at a different location after the incident.

Following the interview, the suspect was reportedly brought to the crime scene.

According to the affidavit, detectives at the scene noted that the victim "appeared to have a significant amount of blunt-force trauma to his head and was unrecognizable with the exception of a tattoo on his chest."

Detectives also reportedly found a large stick with blood on it, along with "drag marks" that corroborated Price's account.

The Chronicle previously reported that the Lewis County Coroner's Office arrived at the scene around 5:15 p.m. Family members arrived roughly an hour and a half later.

The victim's body was loaded into a coroner's vehicle shortly after 8 p.m.

"An autopsy has been scheduled, and further information regarding the decedent, to include cause and manner of death, will be released by the Lewis County Coroner's Office," the sheriff's office said in its Tuesday release.

As of Wednesday's presstime, that information had yet to be released. The victim's name is included in court documents, but The Chronicle is waiting for the coroner to officially identify the victim.

The case remains under investigation, the sheriff's office said.

Those with information were told to contact the sheriff's office at 360-748-9286 or Lewis County 911 Communications at 360-740-1105.

Detectives can be emailed at investigations@lewiscountywa.gov.

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