In the late afternoon of November 11, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded at a Mobil gas station in Federal Way, Washington, that would end the life of 39-year-old Uso Hale. Hale had arranged to meet Robert Nelson III, then 24, for what was reportedly a drug transaction involving the sale of blue pills valued at approximately $2,000. The meeting was reportedly precipitated by an incident the day prior, in which Hale had allegedly robbed Nelson of $1,500.
When Hale entered Nelson's light grey Audi A5 sedan at the gas station, the situation escalated violently. Witnesses at the gas station reported hearing gunshots, and a bullet was later found lodged in one of the station's windows.
Following the shooting, Nelson drove a few miles away from the gas station to a residential area in unincorporated King County. There, he left Hale's body in a watery ditch in the 4600 block of S. 352nd Street. Hale's body was discovered the next day, on November 12, 2021, by neighbors who were out for a walk. An autopsy performed by the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Hale had been shot at least seven times, with wounds to his cheek, chin, neck, thigh, arm, and torso. The cause of death was ruled a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into Hale's death quickly led law enforcement to Robert Nelson III. A close friend of Hale's informed investigators about the prior robbery and the planned meeting to sell pills. Surveillance footage and phone records placed Nelson in the area where Hale's body was found shortly after the time of the shooting. Nelson was arrested on November 24, 2021, while driving a black Cadillac registered to his grandfather. A search of his apartment uncovered a box and a magazine for a. 45 caliber Sig Sauer handgun, though the weapon itself, which was registered to Nelson, was never located.
On December 1, 2021, Robert Nelson III was charged with first-degree murder and held on $2 million bail. His trial began in June 2024, where his defense argued that the killing was in self-defense. After approximately a day of deliberation, a jury found Nelson guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon on July 11, 2024. On August 22, 2024, Nelson was sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison.
