On the evening of June 20, 2024, in Lacey, Washington, a tragic event unfolded, resulting in the death of 26-year-old Brandon Rudalff, a White/Caucasian male. Rudalff, an active-duty soldier stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was fatally shot multiple times inside a residence in the 5400 block of 57th Loop Southeast. The incident, which occurred around 9:05 p.m., also claimed the life of 24-year-old Julia Maupin, who was pregnant at the time.
Rudalff and Julia Maupin were roommates
in the house. According to reports, Julia's husband, 21-year-old John Robert Maupin, who was also an active-duty soldier at JBLM and lived in the same residence, got into an argument with his wife. Following the dispute, he allegedly shot both Julia and Rudalff. Witnesses reported seeing John Maupin leave the house with a gun in his hand and flee the scene in a white Hyundai Sonata.
A 911 call from Julia's mother, who was also in the house at the time of the shooting, initiated a swift law enforcement response. An officer with the Olympia Police Department spotted the suspect's vehicle on northbound Interstate 5, leading to a high-speed chase. The pursuit, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Washington State Patrol's air unit and Thurston County SWAT, ended when the suspect abandoned his car near the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and attempted to flee on foot.
John Robert Maupin was apprehended and taken into custody at approximately 1 a.m. on June 21, 2024. During police questioning, he reportedly claimed to have an alter ego named "New John" and stated that he could not remember the events that transpired at the house. He was booked into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of two counts of second-degree murder. Inside his vehicle, authorities found a black Taurus Armas handgun. He was later ordered to be held without bail.
