In the late summer of 2014, the story of Brandon Zomalt, a 30-year-old Black or African American male, unfolded in a grim sequence of events. The first indication that something was terribly wrong emerged on August 13, when an off-duty federal agent stumbled upon a fire along Peasley Canyon Road in Auburn, Washington. Upon extinguishing the flames, the agent discovered a pile of blood-soaked carpeting, towels, and clothing. A man seen near the fire fled in a dark SUV as the agent approached.
Forensic analysis of the bloodied items by the Washington State Patrol crime lab would later confirm the blood belonged to Brandon Zomalt, a man whose friends and family had not seen or heard from in weeks.
The investigation into Zomalt's disappearance led Pierce County sheriff's deputies to a duplex on Military Road East in the South Hill area of Puyallup on September 1, 2014. Responding to anonymous tips about a possible homicide, deputies conducted a welfare check at the residence. Inside the garage, they found a severely decomposed body, which was later identified as Brandon Zomalt. The Pierce County Medical Examiner determined that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Detectives noted that flooring and carpet were missing from the house, matching the description of the items found at the fire scene in Auburn.
The home where Zomalt's body was discovered was rented by his roommate, 34-year-old Michael Clifford Boisselle. Investigators learned that Zomalt had been temporarily living with Boisselle. According to statements Boisselle later made to witnesses and his mother, he had shot Zomalt out of frustration and no longer wanted him staying at his home. After the killing, Boisselle told his mother he needed to leave the area immediately and that she would not hear from him again. A warrant was issued for Boisselle's arrest, and he was charged with first-degree murder.
Boisselle was eventually captured and stood trial. He claimed that he had shot Zomalt in self-defense, alleging that Zomalt had held him at gunpoint after being asked to move out. A jury convicted Boisselle of second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm, and he was sentenced to over 21 years in prison. However, in 2019, the Washington State Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction. The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the initial search of Boisselle's home by police was unconstitutional because it was conducted without a warrant and did not meet the criteria for an emergency exception. Following this ruling, the case was sent back to Pierce County Superior Court. Rather than face a new trial, Michael Boisselle pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and unlawful gun possession. He was subsequently sentenced to six years and five months in prison, a sentence that was largely covered by the time he had already served.
