James Duane Studer, a 42-year-old White male, was fatally shot on March 26, 2015, in SeaTac, Washington. The incident occurred inside Universal Box & Crate, a business owned by Studer. A relative had reportedly received a phone call about a confrontation at the business and subsequently alerted the authorities by calling 911. When King County sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered Studer on the floor with gunshot wounds to his head.
He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, but he did not survive his injuries.
The primary suspect in the homicide was quickly identified as the victim's uncle, 68-year-old Robert Leroy Studer. Investigators believe that the shooting occurred during an argument between the two men, though the specific nature of the dispute has not been publicly disclosed. Following the shooting, Robert Studer fled the scene in a white 2015 Chevrolet passenger van with distinctive Arizona license plates that read "NFL HAWK." A public alert was issued, cautioning that the suspect was believed to be armed and dangerous.
A multi-state manhunt for Robert Studer concluded two days later in Taft, California. Acting on information from the King County Sheriff's Office, local law enforcement located the suspect's van behind a business. When officers attempted to make contact, Studer retreated into the building and barricaded himself inside, leading to a lengthy standoff that lasted for several hours. The tense situation involved the Kern County SWAT team, a bomb squad, and crisis negotiators. At one point, a robot was deployed to assess the situation inside the business. Ultimately, officers breached the building and found Robert Studer lying on a bed. He was taken into custody without further incident. Following his arrest, he was hospitalized for a pre-existing medical condition before being booked and held for extradition to King County to face charges for the murder of his nephew.
