In June of 2022, the life of 35-year-old Chase Catelli, a Caucasian male, was tragically cut short in a quiet farming community near Spangle, Washington. For months, his disappearance remained a mystery, a silent question mark in the lives of those who knew him. The father of five was known for his love of animals and outdoor photography, often pulling over on the side of the road to capture images of the landscape and its creatures. His constant companion on these drives was his dog, who his half-sister described as his best friend.
The grim truth of his fate came to light in January 2023, when his own mother, Christine Catelli, confessed to his killing. The confession was prompted by her brother, in whom she had confided. He persuaded her to turn herself in to law enforcement and drove her from his home in Western Washington back to Spokane County to report the crime. Christine, who had been struggling with substance abuse and entered rehab shortly after the murder, led detectives to a remote area near Rock Lake in Whitman County. There, beneath a small concrete bridge, authorities found Chase's remains wrapped in black plastic.
Christine Catelli admitted to detectives that she had shot her son five or six times in the chest and head at her boyfriend's home on West Jennings Road, a place where Chase had lived intermittently. In a disturbing revelation, she stated she "didn't want him to suffer." Following the shooting, she dismembered his body, removing his head with a saw before disposing of the remains. She claimed that in the time leading up to the killing, Chase had threatened her with a gun and had been firing a weapon inside her boyfriend's van and at the house.
Initially charged with second-degree murder, Christine Catelli ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. In June 2024, a Spokane County Superior Court judge sentenced her to six and a half years in prison, the low end of the standard sentencing range. The plea agreement took into consideration her limited criminal history and was supported by members of her family, including her brother and another son, who spoke on her behalf at the sentencing. She was to be given credit for the nearly one and a half years she had already served in the Spokane County Jail and was ordered to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations for treatment.
