Thurston County man accused of murdering his wife held without bail
A Thurston County Superior Court judge on Thursday found probable cause to charge Michael A. Brower, 32, with second-degree murder, domestic violence, and ordered him held without bail.
Brower is accused of fatally shooting Tuyen Dang Ngoc Brower, his 30-year-old wife, Wednesday night at their home in the Clearwood community southeast of Yelm.
According to a prosecutor’s statement of probable cause:
Wednesday just before 9 p.m., Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 21900 block of Beachside Drive Southeast.
A police investigation found that Brower had called 911 and was “hysterical.” He told dispatch he “had shot his wife in the chest while moving a rifle,” according to the statement.
Deputies arrived to find Brower performing CPR on his wife — he was crying and said his children were in the back of the house, the statement reads. Law enforcement took over life-saving efforts and detained Brower.
When medics arrived, they determined Tuyen Brower had died. Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock told The Olympian that an autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning.
Four children were in the house, ranging in age from 3 to 9, according to the prosecutor’s statement, and the oldest told a deputy her parents had been arguing. Court records show that the children are now in the care of Child Protective Services.
According to court documents, Brower has said he’s a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and was deployed to Iraq.
He has no known criminal convictions, according to court documents. However, a pretrial report includes that there is an active, pending case in which he’s accused of fourth-degree assault, domestic violence, in Pierce County District Court that also involves Tuyen Brower, and that a court order that Michael Brower have no contact with his wife for two years had expired in 2019.
Pierce County District Court had ordered Brower not to own or possess firearms, according to the report. He was arrested out-of-state in 2004 for three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, but no disposition was available.
On Thursday, prosecutors filed a motion for the court to deny bail. If approved, Brower would be held in jail pending the outcome of his case.
Defense Attorney Danielle Walker did not object to that order in court Thursday, but requested defense be able to schedule a hearing to argue the motion in the future.
Judge Christine Schaller ordered Brower held without bail pending a future hearing. She also ordered him not to have contact with the four children who were allegedly present, and that he surrender all firearms.
Arraignment was set for 9 a.m. June 2.
Resources for survivors of domestic violence
Anyone in an emergency situation who needs immediate help should call 911.
In Thurston County, anyone in a domestic-violence relationship who feels their safety is at risk but is not in immediate danger can call:
- The 24/7 Helpline operated by SafePlace: 360-754-6300; or
- Family Support Center of South Sound: Available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 360-754-9297.
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 2:00 PM.
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