In a quiet neighborhood in Orting, Washington, the life of 51-year-old Daniel McCaw came to a violent end. For four days, McCaw had not shown up for work, raising concern among his colleagues. When deputies arrived at his home for a welfare check on September 1, 2022, they discovered a grim scene. McCaw lay dead on the floor, the victim of multiple gunshot and stab wounds. Investigators found a single spent shell casing near his body, but the murder weapon was missing. There were no signs of a forced entry into the residence.
The investigation into McCaw's death soon focused on two teenagers, Gabriel Davies and Justin Yoon, who were both 16 at the time. A bizarre twist in the case emerged when Davies was reported missing under suspicious circumstances, prompting a large-scale search. He was found safe a day later, but shortly after, both he and Yoon were arrested in connection with McCaw's murder. Investigators learned that McCaw had previously been in a relationship with Davies' mother.
The two teenagers were charged with second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to charging documents, the pair had developed a plan to steal something from a safe in McCaw's home. They gained entry to the house through a doggy door. Davies' father contacted detectives, stating his son had been approached by "biker buddies" of McCaw who threatened him into committing the theft. Davies claimed that after they entered the house, Yoon stabbed McCaw before a gunshot was heard. He said he then went to the garage to get the item from the safe and heard a second gunshot. After their arrest, Davies led detectives to where he and Yoon had hidden two guns stolen from McCaw's home.
In a Pierce County courtroom, both Gabriel Davies and Justin Yoon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Family members of Daniel McCaw filled the courtroom during the sentencing, sharing their grief and asking for the maximum penalty. Both teenagers expressed remorse for their actions. The judge sentenced them each to over 12 years in prison. The case left the community of Orting in shock, a quiet town unaccustomed to such violent crime.
