Michael Lee Dudley charged with two counts of murder in the second degree
Mon, 08/24/2020
Michael Lee Dudley, 62 has been formally charged with two counts of murder in the 2nd degree by the King County Prosecutor. He is charged in the death and dismemberment of Austin Wenner and Jessica Lewis. Their body parts were found inside garbage bags in suitcases that washed ashore in West Seattle June 19.
The charging documents state:
The State incorporates by reference the Certification for Detennination of Probable Cause prepared by Detective James L Cooper ofthe Seattle Police Department for case number 2020-191677.
Bail was set at First Appearance in the amount of $5,000,000.00. Pursuant to CrR 2.2, the State requests that bail remain in that amount because the nature ofthe charges and the extraordinary lengths the defendant went to in order to hide the evidence of his crime suggests that he is likely to commit another violent crime. While the precise motive for this crime is not yet fully known, the evidence to date shows that the defendant was angry with the victims for not paying rent and for bringing potential criminal activity to the Ambaum home. The defendant, likely with the aid of others, dismembered the two victims after he killed them, separated their bodies into multiple bags and suitcases and tried to hide them in different bodies of water. This process would have taken a lot of time and effort and his willingness to take these extreme steps demonstrates the threat he poses to the community. The atrocities inflicted on the bodies of the victims after their murder has greatly increased the anguish and suffering oftheir families. This case is still under active investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming.
The defendant's criminal history includes a felony conviction from Thurston County in 1996 for VUCSA, convictions in California for Can-ying a Concealed Weapon in a Vehicle (1994), Taking a Vehicle for Temporary Use (1995), Vehicle Theft (1996), and a conviction for DUI in Oregon (1977).
Download the full charging documents here
Mr. Dudley’s next court date is an arraignment, where he’s expected to enter a plea, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Set. 8, 2020 in room E1201A of the King County Courthouse.
Comments
too bad he wasn't an early…
too bad he wasn't an early covid victim. who knows who/how many he killed over the years
What a sicko! Truer words…
What a sicko! Truer words were never spoken when they said you can't judge a book by its cover. May he rot in hell. I pray that the families get through this horrible time and cling to one another in their grief.
Strange that you want anyone…
Strange that you want anyone to “rot in hell” before they have been to trial, let alone been convicted. Don’t you have presumption of innocence until proven guilty in the USA any more?
Murder in the 2nd degree???
Murder in the 2nd degree???
What an idiot! He seriously…
What an idiot! He seriously killed two people just because they couldn’t pay their rent? I hope that he rots!
Murder in the second degree …
Murder in the second degree
RCW 9A.32.050
(1) A person is guilty of murder in the second degree when:
(a) With intent to cause the death of another person but without premeditation, he or she causes the death of such person or of a third person; or
(b) He or she commits or attempts to commit any felony, including assault, other than those enumerated in RCW 9A.32.030(1)(c), and, in the course of and in furtherance of such crime or in immediate flight therefrom, he or she, or another participant, causes the death of a person other than one of the participants; except that in any prosecution under this subdivision (1)(b) in which the defendant was not the only participant in the underlying crime, if established by the defendant by a preponderance of the evidence, it is a defense that the defendant:
(i) Did not commit the homicidal act or in any way solicit, request, command, importune, cause, or aid the commission thereof; and
(ii) Was not armed with a deadly weapon, or any instrument, article, or substance readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury; and
(iii) Had no reasonable grounds to believe that any other participant was armed with such a weapon, instrument, article, or substance; and
(iv) Had no reasonable grounds to believe that any other participant intended to engage in conduct likely to result in death or serious physical injury.
(2) Murder in the second degree is a class A felony.
Maximum sentences for crimes…
Maximum sentences for crimes committed July 1, 1984, and after.
(1) Felony. Unless a different maximum sentence for a classified felony is specifically established by a statute of this state, no person convicted of a classified felony shall be punished by confinement or fine exceeding the following:
(a) For a class A felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for a term of life imprisonment, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of fifty thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine;
(b) For a class B felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for a term of ten years, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of twenty thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine;
(c) For a class C felony, by confinement in a state correctional institution for five years, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of ten thousand dollars, or by both such confinement and fine.
(2) Gross misdemeanor. Every person convicted of a gross misdemeanor defined in Title 9A RCW shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of up to three hundred sixty-four days, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than five thousand dollars, or by both such imprisonment and fine.
(3) Misdemeanor. Every person convicted of a misdemeanor defined in Title 9A RCW shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a maximum term fixed by the court of not more than ninety days, or by a fine in an amount fixed by the court of not more than one thousand dollars, or by both such imprisonment and fine.
(4) This section applies to only those crimes committed on or after July 1, 1984.
(5) The fines in this section apply to adult offenders only.
Well if your caught with the…
Well if your caught with the gun same caliber they were shot with mind you, you have bullet holes and bullet shots on your furniture and house you can't explain how they got there, you have fresh coat of paint over those bullet holes, and it's YOUR FREAKING HOUSE.. well sorry people.. tell me what could make a person innocent of knowing what happened. Oh don't mind the eye witnesses quoting and seeing what they saw to boot. Kidding me
He looks like your granpa:A…
He looks like your granpa:A GRANPA MUNSTER
one of ted bundy's victims…
one of ted bundy's victims was kidnapped in Burien.
You never know how he was…
You never know how he was provoked, ridiculed and taunted by the young couple. Not to justify the killings at all, but there is always a reason for a good girl gone bad. Plus, tell me how much rage you'd have if people owe you $1500 month after month? While arguing with you over the debt they owe... This is a sad story stemming from irresponsible behavior, just like Blake Jacob's refusal of following simple orders contributing to 2 unworthy deaths and causing millions in property damage
I am sure there is more to…
I am sure there is more to this story. Don't judge until all the facts are out and the "witnesses" are vetted in court. It's not our position to pass judgement until all the facts are out.
Man what is it with all this…
Man what is it with all this white in white crime in America, such savages!! ?
The male victim was heard…
The male victim was heard pleading for his life followed by gunshots. Why in the world did the police not force their way into his house? I know that we have protection from unwarranted search & seizures but in a situation where there are gunshots & people begging for their lives, it seems that a situation like that calls for more than just a knock on the door. If the responding officers had done more. a life or two may have been saved.
What about the Samoans who…
What about the Samoans who threatened the victim with a gun and left a bullet in his mailbox? It seems the cops should be looking into them.... not a guy who used poor judgement letting meth and heroin addicts into his home.
So a pillar of society, with…
So a pillar of society, with an education and a lifetime of work to put on his resume.. is going to decide to rent to a bunch of drug addicts and heroin junkies. Wouldn't you think you would have done some background checks if you was so smart? Thing is anybody could be a drug addict it just depends on how well they hide it. If you tell me he wasn't doing drugs with them then you really are naive. If you leave with dogs you're going to get fleas. The fact though is he prayed on people like that. Prayed on them being vulnerable in whatever way possible and he really thought nobody would notice like these people weren't loved anymore because they were on drugs. How ironic considering who is the biggest user of them all. Committing insurance fraudAs is failing businesses all spiraled away from him. To the point he was just relying on Kevin 19 money to get by. His habit got the best of them. and in his drug-induced world he made a really bad decision and was capable of cutting people up That's just disgusting whether you're on drugs or not that's no excuse.
Gangs wouldn't shoot…
Gangs wouldn't shoot somebody's girl friend 3 times and they guy they wanna hurt 1 time. That doesn't make sense. He had defensive wounds on him. I think he was doing something awful to that girl 1st, and she tried to fight him off. And I think her boyfriend heard the shots and came running in to help her and Dudley fought then killed him too with a single shot. Everyone seems to forget she was shot numerous times. They obviously hated woman enough to do such a thing. But what he did afterwards is completely uncalled for. On the worst of days people with any sort of remorse would just had called the police themselves if it was a denfesive act towards them. But obviously it wasn't because this guy ended up cutting them up? No matter how somebody made taunt you you wouldn't kill and cut them up like that. That takes some pretty serious stomach and disgusting disturbing thoughts to be able to handle something like that. It's actually pretty evil.
And as a black woman myself,…
And as a black woman myself, who ever made it a comment about white people being savages or something like that. Please listen to how ignorant you sound. That's the problem with our youth these days. Not all black people are ignorant or thugs. Comments like that though doesn't help any cause for us and our rights. So please if you're black person making that comment quit being so ignorant.
We saw Cash beat up. The…
We saw Cash beat up. The Samoans beat him up. Not Jessica. Why would they come back again to kill them both and chop them up? They already got him. It doesn't make sense and Jessica wasn't any part of why they beat him up previously. They were scared of thier roomate and wanted to move. I bet he was the one who put that bullet in the mailbox trying to scare and intimate them more. Which is awful. They already went thru that altercation, why jump on them when they were already scared and hurt. He's a bully. That's all he ever was to them.
sue j. youre a fucking IDIOT…
sue j. youre a f---g IDIOT. remember, this was during the coronavirus quarentine when landlords werent supposed to be kicking out tenants for being unable to pay rent. plus, 1500 for a room in burien is outrageous. another thing...have you read the court papers about this guy? he was molesting his own daughter from the ages of 10-18, he beat a dog to death on his lawn for getting one of his chickens, and a couple of the witnesses who turned him in were other drug users who he allowed to come and shower and leave their belongings at his house, another one was supposed to be moving into the room where he killed the couple. So, you are pretty sick for blaming the victims based solely on your assumption that they were drug addicts. Mike Dudley also admitted to the cops that he had used meth in the last month, so PLEASE bitch. Keep your bullshit opinions to yourself. That is so disrespectful to blame these poor kids who were dismembered and thrown away like trash to rot. Nobody deserves that. Not even heroin and meth users. Judgemental bitches like you are more deserving of that fate if you ask me.
The law never said drugs we…
The law never said drugs we're found? She was shot a lot, him only once..
And his house was put on the…
And his house was put on the market today. His sister is the listing agent, a local real estate agent and former owner of the Remax office in the junction.
https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/Undisclosed-address-98148/home/173319…
WOW... trust no one.
WOW... trust no one.
He must be seriously evil to have gone to the lengths he did to kill those people and try to hide the evidence. Once again, looking at the photo of him, you’d never suspect he was capable of doing what he did. Very scary to think he may have had help and that person is still free. So horrible for the families. Sending them strength and comfort.