In the quiet community of Port Angeles, Washington, the life of 60-year-old Clay Lee Haltom, a White male, came to a sudden and violent end on February 24, 2022. He and his long-term girlfriend, Bryana Emila Presler, 43, were discovered deceased in the front seat of their Ford Explorer. The vehicle had come to a low-speed rest against a tree across the street from their travel trailer on Wild Currant Way.
Initially reported as a single-car collision, responding authorities quickly determined that the couple's injuries were not consistent with the minor crash. An autopsy would later confirm that both Haltom and Presler had been fatally shot in the back of the head.
The investigation into the double homicide swiftly focused on a person of interest who was close to the victims: Clay Haltom's son, Christopher Lee Haltom, 40. Evidence suggested that Christopher, who lived with his father and Presler, was present in the vehicle when the murders occurred. Hours before the bodies were discovered, surveillance footage from a Port Angeles pawn shop captured Christopher purchasing ammunition for a. 22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol. He was seen with the weapon in hand at the counter. As a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions, his possession of a firearm was illegal.
Shortly after the discovery of his father and Presler, Christopher Haltom was located and arrested by a deputy who was en route to the crime scene. The arrest was made on an outstanding warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm, stemming from the pawn shop incident. During the subsequent investigation, authorities found a. 22-caliber Ruger semiautomatic pistol near a road in the Agnew area, which they explored for a possible connection to the murders and Christopher Haltom.
While incarcerated on the firearm charge, Christopher Haltom was officially named a person of interest in the murders. He had a documented history of mental health issues, including auditory hallucinations and delusional beliefs. Eventually, detectives developed probable cause to formally charge Christopher Haltom with the murders of his father and Bryana Presler. The case, however, would not proceed to trial. On May 15, 2023, while being held at Western State Hospital under a court order, Christopher Lee Haltom was found deceased. The cause of his death was to be determined by an autopsy.
