In the quiet community of Poulsbo, Washington, the life of 50-year-old James Wayne Foster, a Caucasian male, was brought to a tragic and violent end on June 4, 2025. Foster was staying on a property on Big Valley Road NE, watching over it as it was being renovated. It was there that his life was cut short by a hail of bullets. His body, however, was not discovered until three days later, on June 7, when the property owner, concerned after not hearing from him, went to check on him and found him
deceased in the driveway.
The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office was immediately called to the scene, and it was apparent that this was no accident. An autopsy later confirmed that Foster had been shot multiple times, and a homicide investigation was launched. Detectives found three. 22 caliber casings near his body. A crucial piece of evidence came from the property's surveillance cameras. The footage from June 4th showed a man with a rifle approaching James Foster as he was working on an electric wheelchair. The assailant fired at Foster twice, then moved closer and fired again. Before leaving, the man returned to shoot Foster's lifeless body one more time and then accessed the victim's truck. Investigators believe items were stolen from the property around the time of the killing.
A neighbor provided a lead, telling detectives about a man who had been living in the woods between Big Valley Road and Viking Way and had been accused of stealing from the property. Law enforcement made initial contact with a man in the woods who identified himself as Laird David Dinsmore, 35, and stated he had been in the area for a few days. The description of the shooter in the surveillance video bore a striking resemblance to Dinsmore, which led the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office to name him as a person of interest.
A manhunt for Dinsmore ensued, focusing on the densely wooded area near Snider Park. On the evening of June 10, as law enforcement searched for him, gunshots were heard in the park, though none were fired by officers. This prompted the cancellation of baseball games at the park as a safety precaution. Shortly after, Dinsmore was located and a SWAT team moved in to arrest him. During the arrest, Dinsmore allegedly fired shots at the officers. After being taken into custody and medically evaluated, he was booked into the Kitsap County Jail.
Following his arrest, Laird David Dinsmore confessed to the murder of James Wayne Foster. He was subsequently charged with first-degree premeditated murder for the killing and first-degree assault for firing at law enforcement officers during his capture. While Dinsmore admitted to the slaying, a definitive motive has not been publicly released, though theft is believed to be a factor. James Wayne Foster's family, shocked by the sudden and horrific violence, is left to mourn his loss.
