On a Friday evening, what began with the leisurely pursuit of racing remote-controlled cars took a fatal turn for 42-year-old Jason Dwight Martinell, a White male from Granite Falls, Washington. The night of October 25, 2024, ended with his death in a Safeway parking lot north of Bothell, the result of what investigators believe was a drug robbery gone wrong.
Earlier that evening, Martinell had met with a friend near Maltby to race RC cars, bringing with him a quantity of drugs he
intended to sell. He was reportedly in contact with Michael Knapinski, a 49-year-old Woodinville man, with whom he had been texting in the hours leading up to his death. A friend of Martinell's overheard him agree to sell all of his drugs to Knapinski for $1,900. Martinell then got into Knapinski's black Toyota Sequoia and they drove off.
The friend, concerned for Martinell, decided to follow the Sequoia. The short, five-mile journey concluded at the Safeway on Bothell Everett Highway. There, the friend witnessed the passenger door of the Sequoia open and someone exit the vehicle before it sped away. Driving up to the spot, the friend discovered Martinell lying on the ground. Fearing for his own safety, the friend fled the scene without immediately contacting the authorities.
Later, another individual discovered Martinell and called the police. When Snohomish County sheriff's deputies arrived around 11:20 p.m., they found Martinell unresponsive. Despite their attempts at CPR, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Initially, paramedics did not see any obvious signs of fatal injury. However, an investigator from the medical examiner's office discovered a small wound on the back of his head, with corresponding defects in his hat and sweatshirt, leading them to conclude he had been shot. Investigators believe Knapinski stole the drugs, as none were found on Martinell's body.
Two days after the shooting, police arrested Michael Knapinski in Seattle for investigation of second-degree murder. According to court documents, Martinell's fiancée told detectives that another man had introduced Martinell to Knapinski. When police interviewed this man, he reported that Knapinski had admitted to the shooting, stating, "I did it. I'm sorry for your loss." Knapinski was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and remained in the Snohomish County Jail with bail set at $1 million.
