Thurston County Coroner IDs man found dead near Lake Lawrence on Jan. 12
A 61-year-old man who Thurston County deputies found dead near Lake Lawrence on Jan. 12 has been identified.
Coroner Gary Warnock identified the man as James J. Hickson of Olympia.
Hickson was found dead at the end of Lindsay Road Southeast with injuries to his body, including his head and torso, The Olympian previously reported. The Sheriff’s Office commenced a homicide investigation and identified Hickson by his tattoos. On Jan. 13, detectives arrested James Wade Brady, 67, on suspicion of unlawful disposal of human remains and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Brady has not been accused of causing Hickson’s death. The Jan. 14 probable cause statement for Brady states there was “no indication” that Hickson was murdered. Prosecutors file these statements with courts so judges can find probable cause and set conditions of release.
In Brady’s case, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Allyson Zipp found probable cause for unlawful disposal of human remains and unlawful possession of a firearm and set bail at $50,000 on Wednesday.
Prosecutors had until 5 p.m. Friday to charge Brady or else his bail would expire. They ultimately charged him with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun, according to court records. He was not charged with unlawful disposal of human remains.
The probable cause statement said investigators arrested Brady after they found him in a vehicle, near where the victim had lived, that was parked near a vehicle seen in surveillance footage where the body was found. Detectives also allegedly found a sawed-off shotgun behind the Brady’s driver’s seat, the statement said.
A prosecutor’s office spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Olympian’s request Friday night for additional information about the charging decision. The Olympian has also asked the Sheriff’s Office to comment on the status of the investigation.
The Olympian asked the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Thursday about their reasons for not accusing Brady of causing Hickson’s death.
In response, PAO spokesperson Tara Tsehlana said the Coroner’s Office had not yet determined the cause of death for Hickson when the probable cause statement was filed.
Hickson’s cause of death is still pending a toxicology report, Warnock said on Friday. It takes about 4-6 weeks for his office to receive a toxicology report from the Washington State Patrol crime lab, he added.
Further information was not immediately available. Check back for updates.
