25 years after federal prosecutor Tom Wales’ killing, investigators say the case is still active
Oct 9, 2026, 6:00 PM | Updated: 6:02 pm
Tom Wales, an assistant U.S. Attorney, who was shot at his desk in his home. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
For 25 years, investigators have been pursuing the killing of Tom Wales, an assistant U.S. Attorney shot at his desk in his home in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Federal officials said they are still investigating and need information that could turn what they know into evidence they can present in court.
“This is an open investigation,” Acting U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said, emphasizing that the office continues to devote resources to it.
Floyd recently toured the Queen Anne residence where Wales was killed. Seeing the small space firsthand, he said, made the crime feel “very personal” and underscored his belief that it was not random.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Mike Harrington said investigators believe the murder was connected to Wales’ work as a prosecutor. According to Harrington, the assailant waited in the backyard for Wales to sit at his desk in a well-lit basement office, where he could not see into the dark yard.
Investigators determined the weapon was a Makarov 9-by-18-millimeter pistol fitted with an aftermarket barrel. Harrington said the FBI’s Makarov Project tested more than 2,000 replacement barrels as part of the investigation.
“The passage of time has not made the case cold. New information, changing relationships and facts that take on significance in light of later discoveries could help move the investigation forward,” Harrington said.
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Floyd acknowledged that investigators have people of interest, but said they remain open to the possibility that they have missed something.
“We believe what we’re looking for is someone that will help us take that information that we already know to be true and turn it into evidence that we can present to a jury,” Floyd said.
Officials urged people who may have heard something over the years to come forward, even if they did not witness the crime themselves. As Harrington put it, the person responsible may not be the only one who knows what happened.
“We know, for sure, there is at least one person who knows who killed Tom Wales. We know that person has people around them, that over 25 years they’ve likely spoken to, and we know those people have people around them that may have heard something that would help our investigation,” Floyd said.
A $2.5 million reward is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The FBI is asking anyone with information to contact a local FBI office, particularly the Seattle field office, or email whalestips@fbi.gov.
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