Convicted killer confesses to King County cold-case murder from 1978
Jun 19, 2014, 2:44 PM | Updated: 3:49 pm
A convicted killer out on work release has confessed to a cold-case murder and arson in northeast King County from 1978.
John DeRosia, 59, walked into the King County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday in downtown Seattle and confessed to the killing of a co-worker, Sergeant DB Gates said Thursday.
DeRosia is currently serving time in a work release program after spending 12 years in prison for murdering his wife.
Court documents say DeRosia told detectives he beat a co-worker into unconsciousness during an argument at an apartment complex near the Alpental/Skykomish area of King County.
He allegedly claimed to have lit the man’s apartment on fire to hide the beating, then warned neighbors to leave because of the blaze.
Detectives suspected DeRosia of setting the fire at the time but could not prove it and he denied involvement, according to court documents.
Detectives are now working to pull evidence and records from the cold-case investigation and locate witnesses to definitively link DeRosia to the crime, Gates said.
DeRosia waived his first court appearance Wednesday and is being held on $100,000 bail. He is expected to be charged with murder.
