Murder charges for man, woman after deputy’s death

Two suspects have been charged in a Pierce County court following an armed robbery and fatal shooting of a deputy this week.

RELATED: Two children in the “trap house” where the robbery occurred

“I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of detectives in the Sheriff’s Department under these difficult circumstances,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “This is an ongoing investigation and we will hold accountable everyone who is responsible for the murder of Deputy Dan McCartney.”

Frank William Pawul

Pawul, 32, has been charged with murder in the first degree and kidnapping in the first degree. He was also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

Bail for Pawul has been set at $5,000,000.

Brenda Kaye Troyer

Brenda Troyer is escorted into Pierce County court Jan. 11, 2018. (KIRO 7)

Troyer, 52, has been charged with murder in the first degree and kidnapping in the first degree. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Troyer is accused of driving the men to the house where they attempted to rob its residents. Once police arrived on the scene, it is believed that Troyer drove away from the area.

Bail for Troyer was set at $2,000,000.

More details about the crime

The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that Troyer drove Pawul and Henry Carden to a house at 20012 45th Avenue Court East in Frederickson. Three adults and two children were in the home. Pawul and Carden broke into the home and demanded money. They were wearing masks and holding handguns. They also had “bowie” style knives.

RELATED: Watch procession for Deputy McCartney

The residents were taken at gunpoint into the home’s master bedroom. One resident escaped through a window and called 911 at 11:24 p.m. Deputy Daniel McCartney arrived on the scene at 11:30 p.m. Three minutes later he notified dispatch that he was pursuing suspects on foot. And shortly, he reported “shots fired.”

When backup arrived on the scene, Deputy McCartney had been shot. Carden was found dead, having been shot several times. Carden, however, was wearing body armor and was killed by a self-inflicted gun wound to the head.

Police searched the area and found a safe and backpack taken from the home. They also found bear spray at the scene. Pawul initially got away, but a state trooper conducting traffic control in the area encountered Pawul and took him into custody. He was wearing a bear spray holster and a bowie knife on his hip.

Detectives later looked into Pawul’s cell phone records and found several text messages between the two about the night’s activity — fleeing the house, police containing the scene, picking Pawul up, and the shooting of Deputy McCartney and Carden. Police were able to trace Pawul’s cell phone to the the residence around the time of the incident.

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