Homicide victim found near Orting after Olympia teen’s disappearance is identified
A 51-year-old man found dead last week in his home about five miles east of Orting — allegedly killed by teenagers from Olympia — was identified Wednesday by the medical examiner.
Daniel McCaw died of multiple gunshot and stab wounds, according to a news release from the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office. According to court records, the man was found in his home by Sheriff’s Department deputies performing a welfare check requested after McCaw didn’t show up to work for four days.
The day after McCaw was found dead, 16-year-old boys Gabriel Davies and Justin Yoon were arrested at their homes by deputies on suspicion of killing him. The two were arraigned Tuesday on murder charges in Pierce County Superior Court.
Charging documents filed against the teenagers do not lay out a clear motive in the killing, though Davies’ father told investigators that his son had been threatened by McCaw’s “biker buddies” and told to steal an item from a safe at the man’s home.
Prosecutors wrote in charging documents that McCaw had been in a relationship with Davies’ mother. According to previous reporting from The News Tribune, the couple and Davies lived at the address in the 21700 block of 190th Street East for several years.
McCaw might have been killed Aug. 28, according to the declaration for determination of probable cause filed in the murder case. Video recovered from a DVR for a surveillance system at the man’s home showed two “young skinny males” approaching his home about 2 a.m. that morning from the backyard. The suspects broke in through a dog door while wearing gloves and dark clothing.
The surveillance video showed McCaw exiting a detached garage on his property and entering his residence about 40 minutes later, records state. Six minutes later, McCaw’s dog can be seen suddenly running out the dog door, and the suspects exit shortly after.
Detectives obtained state Department of Licensing photos for Davies and Yoon and compared them to the individuals in the footage. It appeared to be them, prosecutors wrote in the probable cause document.
This story was originally published September 7, 2022 at 1:24 PM.
