Thurston County man pleads not guilty in murder case linked to body found Jan. 9
Correction: David Raymond Davidson has an open case in Thurston County in which he’s accused of assaulting a 9-year-old child on or about Sept. 27. A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the child was 13.
A 41-year-old man pleaded not guilty Feb. 4 to murdering another man whose body was found inside a south Thurston County home they shared.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested David Raymond Davidson on Jan. 9 after a standoff at a home on the 2800 block of Tierney Street Southwest near Maytown. Deputies initially responded to the home to look for a missing person who had not been seen for days.
When deputies eventually were able to enter the home, they found Galen Weber, 66, dead and decomposing under a mass of blankets.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office initially charged Davidson with second-degree assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and fourth degree assault on Jan. 13.
After an autopsy of Weber’s body, prosecutors added charges for second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and failure to notify the coroner of human remains.
On Feb. 4, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Mary Sue Wilson ordered Davidson be held in lieu of $250,000 bail for the six charges and with all other holds.
Davidson has another open case in Thurston County in which he’s accused of assaulting a 9-year-old child on or about Sept. 27.
Prosecutors charged Davidson with four crimes in that case: second-degree assault of a child, domestic violence; fourth-degree assault, domestic violence; disorderly conduct for obstructing traffic, and indecent exposure.
Judge Christine M. Schaller initially set bail at $30,000 in that case and Davidson posted bail on Oct. 3. Following his Jan. 9 arrest, the court revoked his release conditions so he is now being held without bail on that matter.
Davidson’s criminal history dates back to 2001 and includes convictions for driving under the influence, third-degree driving while license suspended, obstructing, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the latest investigation into Davidson from the perspective of law enforcement.
On Jan. 7, a pastor asked law enforcement to check on Weber because he had not been seen since Dec. 29.
Deputies contacted Davidson at the residence he shared with Weber. Davidson reportedly became argumentative, told deputies that he had not seen Weber recently and refused to let them inside the home.
On Jan. 9, a part-owner of the property told deputies she wanted to check on Weber. When she went to open the front door, she noticed it was barricaded.
Davidson allegedly confronted the owner with what a witness believed to be firearm and shoved the door closed, pushing the owner away. A SWAT team was called to the home and an hours-long stand-off ensued.
After Davidson surrendered, law enforcement found Weber’s body decomposing under a pile of blankets in the living room of the home.
“Beneath the mass of blankets, the detective could see a human hand sticking out, which was discolored due to decomposition,” the statement reads.
One detective observed a powered-on vacuum that appeared to be transferring the odor of decomposition to another room as well as what appeared to be dried blood stains on the carpet.
“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 statement reads.
On Jan. 15, an autopsy revealed potential signs of foul play. Weber’s body reportedly suffered multiple blunt force injuries, rib fractures in multiple areas and a laceration on his right ear.
Additionally, Weber had a “complete fracture of the right superior horn of the thyroid cartilage,” an injury that’s usually caused by significant force or strangulation, according to the statement.
Based on the autopsy, law enforcement determined Weber died due to homicidal violence, likely within a few days to a week before he was found.
The court tentatively scheduled a jury trial to start on March 17.
This story was originally published February 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
