18-year-old suspect charged with Tacoma Halloween killing, allegedly bragged about murder
Nov 14, 2024, 1:28 PM
Tacoma Police Department insignia on a police vehicle. (Photo courtesy of the Tacoma Police Department)
(Photo courtesy of the Tacoma Police Department)
A Tacoma man has been charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder after the Tacoma Police Department (TPD) investigated the death of Ricktor Murphy, 59, on Halloween.
The shooting occurred outside a convenience store on the 5600 block of South Birmingham Street, in Tacoma, just after 11:30 p.m. on October 31. Seven to eight gunshots were reported, and Murphy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to court documents obtained by The Tacoma News Tribune.
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An argument outside the convenience store allegedly occurred between the suspect and the victim right before the shooting.
A witness told The Tribune the driver of a black Kia “unloaded his gun into the victim.” There were allegedly two women with the driver of the Kia, including one woman who is suspected to be the shooter’s stepmother. According to The Tribune, detectives allegedly noticed there was blood on her sandal during the interview.
The stepmother confirmed she was present during the shooting in an interview with TPD detectives during their investigation.
Another witness reported to Crime Stoppers that the suspected shooter, Chase Andrew Wilcox, 18, was bragging about shooting the victim after the killing, prosecutors wrote in court documents obtained by The Tacoma News Tribune.
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Wilcox was arrested approximately two weeks later on November 12 and declined to be interviewed by the police. When he was told he was under arrest for murder, Wilcox allegedly replied, “OK,” according to The Tacoma News Tribune.
Wilcox pleaded not guilty during his arraignment at Pierce County Superior Court Wednesday. His bail has been set at $1 million.
This is a developing story, check back for updates
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here
