In the quiet community of Brush Prairie, Washington, a tragic story unfolded in the spring of 2017, culminating in the death of 34-year-old Raymond C. Brandon, a White male. His body was discovered on April 27, 2017, concealed in a shed on a property located at 15308 N.E. 172nd Ave. An investigation by the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office later determined that Brandon had died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and his death was ruled a homicide. It is believed he was killed about a week before his body was found.
The events leading to Brandon's death began on the morning of April 20, 2017. Brandon and his girlfriend, Allison Fields, arrived at a residence on Northeast 172nd Avenue. Unbeknownst to them, four individuals were lying in wait inside the house. Upon entering, the couple was confronted at gunpoint by Neil Allen Alway. Alway and another man, John Michael West, forced Brandon into the backyard where he was assaulted. Fields, who was held captive inside the house, later recounted hearing Brandon screaming her name and the sounds of a brutal beating, followed by a single gunshot, after which the screaming stopped.
Following the shooting, Fields was taken captive by the suspects and her hands were bound with a zip tie. She was transported to another location, a farm on Northeast 119th Street. Fields managed to escape later that day when she was taken to her grandmother's house under the pretense of looking for her father to get a replacement for a broken car window. Upon seeing her father, she ran to him for help, and her captors fled. The motive for the violent encounter was reportedly related to a Subaru Forrester that Brandon had been driving, which may have been taken from another individual.
The ensuing investigation led to the arrest of five individuals in connection with the murder and kidnapping. Neil Allen Alway, 39, and John Michael West, 43, were charged with murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Ashley Lorraine Barry, 31, and Ashley L. Wideman, 23, also faced charges, including kidnapping. A fifth defendant, Traci Lynn Mendez, 41, who resided at the property where the murder occurred, was later charged with first- and second-degree murder. Neil Alway was ultimately sentenced to nearly 71 years in prison for first-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery. John Michael West and Traci Lynn Mendez both received sentences of about 18 years for second-degree murder. Ashley Lorraine Barry was sentenced to just over 13 years for first-degree manslaughter, and Ashley Wideman received two months of probation for rendering criminal assistance and unlawful imprisonment.
