In the quiet town of Hoquiam, Washington, the life of 25-year-old Lael Christine Hyvonen, a Caucasian female, was tragically cut short on Saturday, June 10, 2017. A resident of Hoquiam and a cashier at a local 7-11, she was found deceased in her home. The cause of her death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds to her head and chest, a brutal end to a young life.
The circumstances surrounding her death were particularly harrowing as the violent act was witnessed by her two young
children. Following the incident, the children's father and Lael's common-law husband, Chandler Ryan Meade, who was 25 at the time, took them to their grandmother's house. It was a chilling report from the 5-year-old daughter to her grandmother that "daddy shot mommy" that first alerted authorities to the tragedy that had unfolded. Police were dispatched to the home in the 800 block of Perry Avenue, where they discovered Lael's body in the living room.
Chandler Ryan Meade was quickly identified as the primary suspect and was taken into custody on the same day. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder. The investigation revealed a history of domestic violence in the relationship, painting a grim backdrop to the fatal events. In a swift legal process, Meade was held on $1 million bail. He later pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree murder.
On November 4, 2017, Chandler Meade was sentenced to more than 31 years in prison, the maximum sentence for a first-time offender under state law. The sentence included an additional 60 months due to the use of a firearm in the commission of the crime. His decision to plead guilty spared his children the trauma of testifying against their father in court. The case left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting the devastating consequences of domestic violence.
