On a summer evening in Marysville, Washington, the life of Seaton J. Baker, a 59-year-old White male, was tragically cut short. On June 11, 2017, Baker was at his apartment complex on 73rd Place NE when an encounter with a stranger turned fatal. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Baker's death was a homicide resulting from multiple gunshot wounds.
The man responsible for the shooting was identified as Wayne Alpert, a 59-year-old from the Lynnwood area.
Earlier that day, Alpert had been exhibiting strange behavior, including walking around shirtless. He had also been involved in an altercation on a Community Transit bus where he yelled at the driver and later pointed a gun at a passenger who had tried to calm him down. That passenger called 911, and Alpert fled the scene.
About 30 minutes later, Alpert was seen in the parking lot of Baker's apartment complex. Baker and a friend, who were on Baker's balcony, noticed Alpert and, not recognizing him, asked who he was there to see. Alpert gave the name of a resident, but Baker was not convinced and went downstairs to tell him to leave. Witnesses reported that Baker followed Alpert around the side of a building. Shortly after, a child was heard saying, "He's got a gun," followed by the sound of gunshots.
An investigation revealed that Baker was shot eight times. A shot to the heart likely caused him to fall, and he was shot seven more times between his abdomen and chin while he was on the ground. An empty handgun magazine was found on his chest. When police arrived, they found Alpert sitting on a nearby curb with a gun beside him, shouting, "I shot him. I shot him.” He was taken into custody and held on a $1 million bail.
Wayne Alpert was charged with second-degree murder. During legal proceedings, questions about his mental health were raised. In October 2018, a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and second-degree assault, and he was sentenced to 19 years in prison. However, Alpert successfully appealed his conviction, arguing that the jury was not properly instructed on self-defense. In May 2023, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault. This led to a resentencing in July 2023, where he was given a new sentence of 11 years. At the time of his resentencing, he had already served approximately six of those years.
