Oct. 12 UPDATE from the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office website:

UPDATE: Tuesday arraignment, West Seattle murder--Chatri L. Thip (10-1-08877-2) was arraigned and pleaded not guilty this morning to Murder Second Degree for allegedly beating to death a man whose body was found in Roxhill Park in West Seattle on September 22. Thip, 21, remains in the King County Jail on $1 million bail. A case setting hearing is scheduled for November 8 at 1 p.m. at the King County Courthouse, courtroom 1201.

Bernard Martin was simply trying to buy a couple beers from some strangers in Roxhill Park on the night of Sept. 21. Shortly thereafter he was beaten and left for dead.

Chatri Lime Thip, 21, admitted to police that he brutally beat Martin and has been charged with second degree murder by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

“Thip’s only explanation for what he did to the victim was that he experiences ‘rage’ when he drinks,” charging documents said.

See the link above for a copy of the charging documents.

Thip told police that Martin approached him and his friends in the park and asked for a beer. Thip did not know Martin and said he was not threatening but for some reason he stood up and punched Martin, knocking him to the ground.

Charging documents detail how he allegedly repeatedly jumped from a small wall into the air, landing on Martin’s chest and back. He then picked up a shopping cart and repeatedly slammed it into Martin’s torso and struck him with a bottle. Thip left the area and left Martin in the park.

At 7:30 a.m. the next morning someone walking through the park came across Martin’s body and called police. When they arrived, Martin was deceased.

The autopsy shows Martin died from blunt force trauma to his trunk, resulting in “massive rib fractures to the front and back.” As a result of the broken ribs, Martin was unable to breathe and died of asphyxiation.

According to charging documents, the evening began with Thip, who has several tattoos affiliating him with the Tiny Rascals Gang, and some friends loading up a shopping cart with several cases of beer at a nearby Safeway and walking out the door without paying.

They walked to Roxhill Park and began drinking. An employee at Safeway who knew Thip (and was a key witness in identifying him) walked to the park and joined them for some beers. According to the witness, Martin walked up to them and asked if he could buy a couple beers. They gave him two for a dollar. He came back a little later and said Thip, “immediately got into it with him." At that time, the witness decided to leave.

Police were able to identify Safeway as the only location near Roxhill where the combination of beer found (MGD 64, MGD and 211 Steel Reserve) was sold and contacted management. Safeway told police that the beer described had actually been stolen and videotapes were reviewed along with the help of the Safeway employee/witness to identify Thip, according to prosecutors.

On Sept. 23 police located Thip in Pacific, WA and transported him to SPD headquarters for questioning. According to charging documents, Thip admitted to the beating and showed detectives red soiling on the inside of his pants. He told them it was blood from jumping onto Martin’s torso and back from the small wall.

Prosecutor's documents show Thip's criminal history "includes a 2008 conviction for Rendering Criminal Assistance in the First Degree relating to a murder committed in Pacific, Washington; a 2006 conviction for Taking a Motor Vehicle Without the Owner's Permission; and a 2005 conviction for Assault in the Fourth Degree."

Thip is in jail on $1 million bail and arraignment is set for October 12, according to Dan Donohoe, press secretary for King County Prosecutor’s Office.

Below is the information released on the Seattle Police Department blotter:

From the SPD Blotter:
On September 23rd, homicide detectives arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the recent Roxhill Park murder.

The individual was identified through information that was developed during the course of the investigation. The man is a resident of Pacific and was arrested in Pacific.

He was transported to the Homicide Office and later booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Murder.

This is still an open and active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Homcide Unit tip line at (206) 233-5000.