On Halloween day, a grim discovery was made near the scenic stretch of State Route 410 in Enumclaw, Washington. The body of 52-year-old Hans Erik Hansen, a male, was found near his 2006 Honda Pilot on October 31, 2024. The King County Medical Examiner would later confirm that Hansen’s life was taken by multiple gunshot wounds, officially ruling his death a homicide.
This tragic event launched an intensive investigation led by the Washington State Patrol, leaving a family desperate for answers and a community in shock.
In the wake of this violence, those who knew Hans Hansen are left grappling with the senselessness of his murder. His girlfriend, Erica Gilson, with whom he had reconnected after many years, described him as a kind and generous man, someone who would give the coat off his back to a stranger. Having recently moved to Washington from Pennsylvania after a divorce, Hansen was starting a new chapter in his life. He was a man with a Ph.D. in law and criminal justice and a former professor. His sons, Jack and Luke, flew in from Pennsylvania, devastated by the news and pleading with the public for any information that could lead to the capture of their father's killer. They remember their father as a self-defense expert, making the circumstances of his death even more bewildering.
As of now, the investigation into Hans Hansen's murder is ongoing, and no arrests have been made, nor have any suspects been publicly identified. Detectives with the Washington State Patrol are urging the public to come forward with any information that might aid their investigation. They have made a specific request for dash camera footage from anyone who may have been traveling on State Route 410 between Enumclaw and Greenwater from October 28 to October 31, 2024. In an effort to generate leads, banners have been placed at the scene of the crime, a poignant plea for justice from a grieving girlfriend. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest, as authorities work to piece together the final days of Hans Hansen’s life and bring closure to his loved ones.
