In the quiet agricultural community of Walla Walla, Washington, the new year began with a grim discovery. On the morning of January 3, 2014, the body of 20-year-old Yesica Olivos, a Hispanic female, was found by a pedestrian down an embankment near the intersection of Mojonnier and Beet Roads. The Walla Walla Police were first called to the scene, but due to the location, the investigation was quickly handed over to the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office. An autopsy conducted the following day confirmed the tragic news that Olivos' death was not an accident; she had been shot to death, and her case was officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the young woman's death moved swiftly as detectives began to piece together the events leading to her murder. It is believed that Olivos was killed on the evening of December 31, 2013, or in the early hours of New Year's Day. Investigators learned she had been in the company of a 17-year-old alleged gang member, Carlos Valdez, and his associates for a couple of days prior to her death. The motive for the killing remained uncertain, with authorities considering possibilities ranging from an argument to gang-related activity or a dispute over drugs. One account suggested that Valdez and others had discussed killing Olivos over a drug debt.
Within days, the Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office identified Carlos Valdez as the primary suspect in the murder of Yesica Olivos. On January 7, 2014, a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder. Warrants were also issued for two other individuals, Breanne Rutherford and Andres Torres-Rodriguez, on charges of rendering criminal assistance in the first degree. Acting on tips, law enforcement tracked the three suspects to the Knights Inn Motel in Spokane, Washington. With the assistance of the Spokane Police Department and the FBI, a standoff ensued. After negotiations, Valdez, Rutherford, and Torres-Rodriguez, along with another woman, surrendered peacefully and were taken into custody. Valdez was initially charged as a juvenile, but due to the serious nature of the crime, his case was expected to be transferred to adult court. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that one of the three individuals charged in connection with the death agreed to testify against the other suspects.
