On the morning of December 18, 2023, the body of 31-year-old Ngaire Tusi, a Samoan woman, was discovered in Oakland Madrona Park in Tacoma, Washington. A passerby found her unresponsive underneath a picnic shelter near a gazebo around 8:35 a.m. and called for help. When authorities arrived, the mother of seven was pronounced deceased at the scene. The Pierce County Medical Examiner later determined she had died from a gunshot wound to the head, and her death was officially ruled a homicide.
Surveillance footage from the park captured the sound of a single gunshot at approximately 2:30 a.m. that morning.
The investigation into her death revealed a tragic story of perceived betrayal and retaliation. Detectives learned from Tusi's mother and others that she had been accused of being a "snitch" and providing information to the police about 22-year-old James Salanoa. Salanoa, who was a friend of Tusi's, was a suspect in a violent kidnapping and rape case that occurred in November 2023. On November 28, just weeks before Tusi's death, James Salanoa was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies following a police pursuit. Investigators believe Tusi was murdered in retaliation for her supposed cooperation with law enforcement regarding the case against him.
The investigation led to the identification of two suspects. The first, Muhammad Takseem Salanoa, the 32-year-old uncle of James Salanoa, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy. Prosecutors alleged he was upset about people cooperating with the police investigation into his nephew and targeted Tusi as a result. A second man, 33-year-old Apelu Sone Tauanuu, was also arrested and faced the same charges. It is believed that Tauanuu, who was part of the same friend group, picked Tusi up and drove her to the park where she was killed. Following his arrest, Muhammad Salanoa pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Tauanuu initially pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, though he later filed a motion to withdraw his plea.
