On a cold December morning in Parkland, Washington, the life of a young man was tragically cut short. Marlon Williams, a 23-year-old male, was found dead on December 17, 2014, in an apartment building. The initial call to the Woodmark apartments at 2 a.m. was for a fight and shots fired. When Pierce County sheriff's deputies arrived, they discovered Williams's body.
It was apparent he had been the victim of a homicide.
Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the man they believed to be the shooter, noting he had a goatee and tattoos associated with white supremacy. This vital information quickly set law enforcement on the hunt for the suspect. The investigation did not take long to yield a significant lead. About an hour after the initial discovery, another 911 call came in from a nearby apartment complex, the Drake apartments. Residents reported a suspicious man lurking in the hallway and knocking on doors. The description of this individual matched that of the suspected shooter.
Two deputies responded to the Drake apartments and located the suspicious man in the hallway. As they confronted him, the man, a 21-year-old convicted felon from Gig Harbor, pulled out a semi-automatic weapon and fired a shot at the deputies. The officers returned fire, killing the suspect at the scene. No one else was injured during the confrontation.
Investigators believe the initial shooting that led to Marlon Williams's death was likely drug-related. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released by the Medical Examiner, was believed to have been trying to find a place to hide after the alleged murder. The two deputies involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure in such incidents. The case, while tragically ending two lives, was quickly closed with the death of the prime suspect.
