On January 19, 2017, the body of a 29-year-old Caucasian female, Audrey Anna Newell, was discovered by a passerby in a gravel area alongside Marine View Drive in Tacoma, Washington. An investigation revealed she had died from a single gunshot wound to the back of her head. Near her body, investigators found a half-full bottle of Corona and a brown paper bag containing a six-pack of the same beer, which was traced back to a 7-Eleven in Seattle.
Just two days prior, on January 17, Newell
had been released from jail in Seattle. Detectives pursued the lead from the 7-Eleven and uncovered surveillance footage from January 19th showing Newell with a man, later identified as 25-year-old Jess Charles Golden. The video showed the pair purchasing two six-packs of Corona before boarding a light rail train to SeaTac. Further footage showed them getting into a vehicle registered to Golden and leaving a parking garage at 5:22 p.m.
When questioned by police, Golden initially gave a different account of his day. He later admitted to meeting a homeless woman named "Lexi," which was an alias for Newell, and offering her a place to stay for the night. He claimed that as he drove, she began talking about drugs and prostitution, at which point he changed his mind and offered to take her to an ex-boyfriend's house instead. Prosecutors stated that Golden claimed Newell had robbed him at knifepoint.
A search of Golden's vehicle revealed a single drop of what appeared to be blood on the passenger's door threshold and tire tracks that were consistent with those found at the scene where Newell's body was discovered. Investigators also found that Golden had a seat cover only on the driver's seat. A search of his cell phone's history showed he had researched the depths of Lake Washington, Puget Sound, and a local river, suggesting he may have disposed of the murder weapon, which was never recovered.
Jess Charles Golden was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. In August 2017, he pleaded guilty to the charge. During the sentencing, Newell's mother, Susan Keller, spoke of her hope that Golden could change his life. Golden was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the murder of Audreyanna Newell. A childhood friend described Newell as a very loved individual who grew up in a great home but had fallen into some trouble.
