On June 7, 2015, 21-year-old Brianna Smith, a White/Caucasian female, was tragically killed in her home in Auburn, Washington. The King County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that she died from a single gunshot wound to the head in what was determined to be a homicide. The incident took place in the 31300 block of 122nd Court Southeast. Smith was a cashier at a local Fred Meyer and resided in the home where the event transpired.
The discovery was made by the father of one of
the victims, who found both Brianna Smith and her 23-year-old stepbrother, James Balcerak, deceased at the scene. Smith was found in a bedroom, while Balcerak was in the living room. Police indicated that the bodies had been there for some time before being found.
Investigations by law enforcement concluded that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. It was determined that James Balcerak, who lived in Kent, shot his stepsister before turning the gun on himself. The King County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Balcerak's death was a suicide, also from a single gunshot wound to the head. As the case was conclusively identified as a murder-suicide, there were no further suspects or arrests made in connection with Brianna Smith's death.
