In the summer of 2022, the life of Alan Brice Nielsen, a 51-year-old Caucasian male from Kelso, Washington, came to a violent and tragic end. On July 15, 2022, Nielsen was shot and killed following a dispute. The events that followed this initial act of violence escalated into a gruesome attempt to conceal the crime, leaving a trail of horror for investigators to uncover.
Weeks after his death, on July 30, deputies from the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at a
property located in the 2100 block of Holcomb Road in Kelso. What they discovered was a grim and disturbing scene. Nielsen's remains were found scattered in and around a truck on the property, the result of a deliberate and powerful explosion. The truck itself was also damaged in the blast, a testament to the extreme measures taken to dispose of the body.
The investigation into Nielsen's death led to the identification and arrest of three suspects. The first to be apprehended, in late October 2022, was 52-year-old Jethro Nichols Welter. Investigators believe Welter shot Nielsen on July 15 and later used approximately 60 pounds of explosives, purchased between July 17 and 19, to destroy his body. A search of Welter's property uncovered multiple firearms, including a stolen gun, and suspected methamphetamine. Welter ultimately pleaded guilty to a host of charges, including first-degree murder, and in December 2023, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
A second suspect, 47-year-old Jerome Adrian Markert of Kelso, was arrested in November 2022. Detectives identified him as another participant in the murder. The motive for the killing is believed to have stemmed from Markert's suspicion that Nielsen was responsible for the death of his dogs. In April 2024, Markert pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and other charges as part of a plea deal.
The third individual implicated in the crime, Carlos Chavez Velazco, fled Washington after the murder. He was eventually located and arrested at a homeless shelter in Los Angeles in June 2023. Velazco was extradited to Cowlitz County to face charges including first-degree murder.
