Thurston man now facing 2nd-degree murder charge in connection with body found Jan. 9
A 41-year-old man who was arrested earlier this month in south Thurston County — the same area where a dead man was found — is now facing a host of new criminal charges, including second-degree murder, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to the murder charge, he also is facing charges for tampering with physical evidence and “failure to notify the coroner or medical examiner,” the sheriff’s office announced in a news release on Friday.
The man found dead Jan. 9 is Galen Weber, 66, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said Sunday. The cause and manner of his death is still pending, Warnock said.
Sheriff’s deputies were initially dispatched to a home in the 2800 block of Tierney Street Southwest near Maytown in response to a missing-person report. The missing man, Weber, had not been seen for several days, The Olympian reported.
During the investigation, police encountered an “uncooperative resident” at the missing person’s home, who refused to allow deputies to enter, The Olympian reported. At the time, police had no legal justification for a forcible entry, but later in the day patrol deputies were dispatched to a disturbance involving a firearm at the same home, according to The Olympian report.
The 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Investigators also checked the house and found Weber.
“Although the cause of death was initially undetermined and probable cause for an arrest (tied to the man’s death) could not be established at the scene, subsequent investigation and preliminary autopsy findings led to the same subject being charged (with the new charges),” the release reads.
Thurston County Superior Court records shed light on what investigators found inside the Maytown area home.
“After SWAT was called and the defendant was detained after several hours, law enforcement entered the residence,” the court records read. “A detective observed a large mass of blankets in the center of the living room. Beneath the mass of blankets, the detective could see a human hand sticking out, which was discolored due to decomposition.
“The living room had a strong odor of decomposition and the detective observed a vacuum cleaner with the hose leading under the blankets,” the court records read.
The vacuum itself was in a back bedroom and was powered and running, according to the court records.
“The detective noted the vacuum was somewhat successfully transferring the odor of decomposition from the living room to the bedroom because the bedroom had an even stronger smell of decomposition,” the court records read.
This incident is still under investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at detectives@co.thurston.wa.us or 360-786-5500.
This story was originally published January 26, 2025 at 12:42 PM.
