Tacoma police were looking Thursday for a couple who allegedly killed the man’s 65-year-old mother and hid her body inside the crawl space of her East Side home.
A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Thomas Al Bienville, 39, and Austa Marie Bienville, 31, on charges of first-degree murder.
Police found the body of Laurinda Hughes on Wednesday at her house in the 1700 block of East 64th Street. She died of a gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office. An autopsy showed she also suffered blunt force trauma to the head.
The suspects were living with the victim at the time of the homicide, detectives said. Court documents gave this account:
Hughes’ coworkers at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle became concerned when she didn’t show up for work April 16. A colleague called Hughes’ cell phone and spoke with a woman who identified herself as Hughes’ daughter-in-law and said Hughes was sick.
Three days later, Austa Bienville called the hospital to say Hughes had laryngitis and could not talk.
On Tuesday, Hughes’ landlord contacted police, saying the home’s locks had been changed. Detectives searched the house Wednesday and found bloodstains on the floor and Hughes’ remains wrapped in a comforter and a fitted sheet.
Also wrapped with the body was a spent 9 mm casing, a pillow with an apparent bullet hole, the victim’s wallet, a checkbook and photos.
Joyce Chen: 253-597-8426
joyce.chen@thenewstribune.com
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268
stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com THOMAS BIENVILLE
height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 230 pounds
Race: Black
AUSTA BIENVILLE
height: 5 feet 2 inches
Weight: 150 pounds
Race: white
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.