A 62-year-old man, Michael Lee Dudley is in custody for the murder of two people after their remains were located in West Seattle on June 19.Seattle Police and Seattle Fire recovered several bags containing human remains that were located near the water in the 1100 block of Alki Avenue SW. The agencies initially responded to the area for reports of a suspicious suitcase washed up on the beach. Another bag was also found in the water, according to police.

Seattle Police homicide detectives, working closely with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, identified the remains as 35-year-old Jessica Lewis, who died on June 16 from multiple gunshot wounds. The second body has been identified as 27-year-old Austin Wenner, who died on June 16 from a gunshot wound of the torso.

Both of the deaths were ruled as homicides.

On Wednesday afternoon, detectives arrested the suspect at a residence in Burien.

He was interviewed and then booked into the King County Jail.

This remains and active and on-going investigation.

According to the probable cause documents: 

"On 6-19-20, in the evening hours, uniformed officers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) responded to a call at 1150 ALKI Ave SW, located in the city of Seattle, County of King and the State of Washington. The 911 caller was reporting that she had her friends had located a large suitcase on the rocks by the water. She and her friends had opened the suitcase and found a black trash bag inside with unknown contents, but a ''fowl'' smell was coming from the trash bag. When SPD officers arrived, they located two suitcases. In the suitcases were garbage bags that contained human remains. The remains would eventually be identified at the King County Medical Examiner's office as Austin WENNER and Jessica LEWIS. The KCME would rule their deaths as homicides from gunfire. Detectives learned through interviews of family and friends that the two victims were last was seen at 16466 Ambaum Blvd S, in Burien, WA. Detectives learned that the property belonged to Michael L. DUDLEY 12/29/57. Detectives also learned that his cell number is XXXXXXX. Detectives obtained the phone records of the victims and learned that their phone stopped transmitting or receiving data on 6-9-20 at approximately 1908 hrs. one of the last calls from the victim's phone was to DUDLEY at 1901 hrs and that call pinged off a cell tower within a mile of 16466 Ambaum Blvd So.

Detectives learned from witnesses that DUDLEY had been renting a room to the victims but wanted them to leave and had been fighting with them. Detectives were able to gain a search warrant for 16466 Ambaum Blvd So. and it was served on 8-19-20. DUDLEY was taken into custody and taken to the SPD Homicide office. During the service of the warrant CSI detectives found bullet holes, bullet strikes, spent rounds and blood was found in the "blue" room.

Detectives also interviewed neighbors that told them that they had called 911 on 6-9-20 because they had heard gunfire from inside the house and then yelling from a male, "please don't do this, just let me leave." Burien Police responded but got no response when they went to the residence. A witness told detectives that she had come to the residence on 6-9-20 in the late evening hours. She stated she had seen an outline figure of a person under a pile of clothes with a bloody arm sticking out of it in the "blue room". She told detectives that DUDLEY then asked her to leave because he had to "clean up his mess". When she returned to the house, she asked him what had happened and he told her that his gun worked and his didn't. Detectives were able to gain a search warrant for 16466 Ambaum Blvd So. and it was served on 8-19-20. DUDLEY was taken into custody and taken to the SPD Homicide office. During the service of the warrant CSI detectives found bullet holes, bullet strikes, spent rounds (9mm) and blood was found in the "blue" room. Detectives also interviewed neighbors that told them that they had called 911 on 6-9-20 because they had heard gunfire from inside the house and then yelling from a male, "please don't do this, just let me leave." Burien Police responded but got no response when they went to the residence. DUDLEY was interviewed and told detectives that the victims stayed with him during the COVID quarantine period. He stated it was just the three of them. He admitted that the victims did stay in the "blue room" at his house. He had charged them 1500.00 a month in rent, but they were not able to pay it. He admitted to having arguments with the victims. He stated that he owned a 9mm handgun and it was in his vehicle that we arrested him in. He also confirmed that his cell # was XXXXXXX. When asked about the blood found in the "blue room" he told us that Jessica had cut herself before and when asked if the blood was hers, he stated he didn't know. He could not explain the bullets or the bullet holes in the blue room. It was also obvious that the room had recently been painted and cleaned. After the interview he was booked into KCJ."

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Lewis' Aunt, Gina Jaschke posted on the GofFundMe page she set up to find the person responsible saying, "I believe they got the monster who did this to them. Please continue to pray for their conviction in a court of law. That justice will be served. And I want to thank the Seattle Police Department and all their help finally being able to get this guy and anybody else involved. In the midst of their Police Chief resigning over the lack of support from the Seattle City council, to the protests and defending of their department -through all of that they never wavered on their professionalism and promise to help our family in any way they could. God bless them for being diligent through all of that and helping us finally be able to sleep at night."