On June 19, 2015, the body of 58-year-old Steven Stead was discovered by a pedestrian, lying face down in a ditch off of 14th Avenue NE on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. An investigation determined that the Marysville, Washington man had been shot in the back of the head. Detectives quickly began to piece together the events leading to his death, uncovering a story rooted in a struggle with disability and an attempt to make ends meet through the sale of his prescription pain medication.
Investigators learned that Stead, who was disabled, supplemented his income by selling his prescriptions. On the day he was last seen alive, he had arranged to meet a man he knew as "Mikey" to collect a $48 debt from a previous transaction. Stead's daughter had taken him to a pain clinic earlier that day, after which he was picked up by "Mikey". Later that afternoon, Stead briefly visited his son's house, with "Mikey" waiting in the car, telling his son he would be back soon. That was the last time his family saw him alive.
The prime suspect in the murder was identified as 30-year-old Michael Stowell. In the days following Stead's death, his children received text messages from their father's phone, but the tone of the messages was different, leading them to suspect someone else was using it. In a chilling turn of events, one of the messages instructed Stead's daughter to deliver her father's medication to Stowell. Unaware that her father was already dead, she met with Stowell and handed over the drugs.
Detectives built a strong case against Stowell. A search of his car revealed a large bloodstain, and a search of his home uncovered pill bottles bearing Stead's name. Though Stowell initially denied his involvement, claiming he had argued with Stead and kicked him out of his van days earlier, the evidence was overwhelming. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Eventually, Michael Stowell pleaded guilty to the murder of Steven Stead, admitting he killed him during the course of a robbery. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the crime.
