Man arrested in connection with disappearance of Thurston County couple
Nov 19, 2023, 9:47 AM | Updated: Dec 4, 2023, 8:26 am
Thurston County couple Davido, left, and Karen Koep are seen in recent photos. (Photo courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office)
(Photo courtesy of Thurston County Sheriff's Office)
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday they arrested a man in connection with the murder and kidnapping of a couple that had been missing since Nov. 10.
Last week, County sheriff’s deputies were asked to do a welfare check on Karen Koep and her husband Davido when they didn’t show up for work Monday, Nov. 13.
Previous coverage: Thurston County couple disappeared under ‘suspicious’ circumstances
Deputies reported when they arrived at the home, the couple and their car was gone.
In a news release distributed on social media channels, the sheriff’s office said a man “known to the couple” attacked Karen Koep and Davido at their home and agency investigators “do not believe (the couple) survived the attack.”
Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies worked with local, state and federal officers to gather evidence to identify a suspect in their disappearance, the release states. Based on that evidence, sheriff’s deputies were led to a man in his 40s from Olympia.
That man, who was not identified in the release, will be booked into Thurston County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder and and first-degree kidnapping, the agency said.
Comments on the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post about the missing couple last week showed the community’s support for the couple. Karen Koep was a well-known chiropractor in the area.
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The investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released when available. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office by email at detectives@co.thurston.wa.us or through dispatch at (360) 704-2740.
