In the small town of Concrete, Washington, the life of 19-year-old Taylor Dawson, a White/Caucasian male, was tragically cut short on August 9, 2024. On that mid-morning, law enforcement and fire crews responded to a fierce blaze that had engulfed a two-story A-frame cabin off State Route 530. The home was completely destroyed, and the recovery of the victims took several days.
Inside the charred remains, investigators discovered the bodies of Taylor, his 52-year-old mother, Erin Birman, and his 18-year-old girlfriend, Jillian Whitney Van Boven.
The investigation took a dark turn when the Skagit County Coroner's Office determined that all three victims had suffered gunshot wounds, which contributed to their deaths. The case was quickly ruled a homicide, and a suspect was identified: Jason M. Birman, Erin Birman's 49-year-old husband and Taylor's stepfather. Investigators believe Jason Birman was at the residence in the time leading up to the fire. A warrant for his arrest on three counts of second-degree murder was issued, but he had vanished.
In the wake of the tragedy, family and friends remembered Taylor as a kind and generous young man with a deep love for the outdoors. A 2023 graduate of Concrete High School, he enjoyed riding his dirt bikes and had a special bond with his three dogs. He worked at the Howard Miller Steelhead Park and shared a love for barefoot hiking in the mountains with his girlfriend, Jillian.
The search for Jason Birman is ongoing, with federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, offering a combined reward for information leading to his arrest. Birman and his 1994 blue Chevrolet pickup truck have been missing since the day of the fire. He is described as an outdoorsman and is known to frequent Whatcom County. The community remains on alert as authorities continue their search for the man suspected of taking three lives in a single, devastating act of violence.
