Burien landlord who stuffed bodies into suitcases sentenced for murder

A landlord found guilty of killing his two tenants and dumping their bodies in suitcases on Alki Beach was sentenced to 46 years in prison Friday.

Michael Dudley, a 64 year-old-man, was found guilty of four counts of second-degree murder last December for the deaths of Jessica Lewis and Austin Wenner.

Closing arguments heard in trial of man accused of killing couple found washed ashore in suitcase

The bodies were found in suitcases washed ashore on Alki Beach and were discovered by a group of teenagers making a TikTok video in June 2020.

Prosecutors said 64-year-old Michael Dudley had been renting a room to victims Jessie Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27, in Burien.

He is accused of shooting and killing the couple over a dispute about unpaid rent on June 9, 2020.

Their bodies were found 10 days later.

One month later, on August 19, a search warrant was served for the Burien home that the suspect shared with the couple.

According to court documents, detectives found bullet holes, spent rounds, and blood in the room the couple was renting, and “it was obvious the room had recently been painted and cleaned.”

Dudley will spend 46 years and eight months in prison without the possibility of parole.