Lead detective details ‘twists and turns’ in Greenwood homicide

The Ballard High School senior accused of shooting and killing a man out for an evening walk in the Greenwood neighborhood had a loving mother and father, but chose instead to live as a transient, according to the lead detective on the case.

Byron K. White, 17, was ordered held at the King County Juvenile Detention Center in Seattle Monday and is expected to be charged as an adult for the Feb. 23 murder of 54-year-old David Peterson.

Peterson was out for a stroll near his home when he called 911 at 8:27 p.m. that night to report that a man tried to steal his cell phone.

“We heard the victim in his own voice talking about the incident,” said Detective Cloyd Steiger, a veteran member of the Seattle Police Department’s Homicide Unit. “He said that the guy was coming back toward him and then there’s a scuffle and the phone went dead.”

The call from Peterson was followed by multiple calls to 911 from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot in the area of North 85th Street and 1st Avenue Northwest. First responders found Peterson in a parking lot, where he was pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

On Monday, KIRO Radio sat down exclusively with Det. Steiger, who detailed the investigation that led to White’s arrest at Sea-Tac airport early Saturday morning, where he was attempting to board a flight to Atlanta.

“There’s always twists and turns in cases like this,” he said. “There’s a tipping point. You’ve got your dominoes all lined up, and it’s just a matter of getting the first domino to tip. Once it tips, they all just start falling.”

While it took less than a week to identify and arrest a suspect, investigators had very little information the night of the murder.

“We certainly didn’t have any idea who the suspect was that night,” he said.

Homicide detectives set out interviewing witnesses and officers looked for nearby businesses that may have caught the murder on surveillance video.

“We had one video that showed the suspect running from the scene on 1st Avenue Northwest,” Det. Steiger said. “It was from a distance, but we knew he was by himself.”

Prior to the murder, officers learned that money had been stolen from the Baranof Restaurant, which is just blocks from where Peterson was killed. Detectives now suspect that Byron White was responsible for the theft, and was accompanied by a second black male and a white female at the time.

When the story hit the news that night, dispatchers received a flood of phone calls and tips from the public, several of which led detectives to serve a search warrant at a home in the 9000 block of 4th Avenue Northwest on Friday, Feb. 28.

“We had information that Byron White had run to that house after the shooting and the gun, at one point, was hidden there,” said Det. Steiger, although the gun has not been recovered.

The same day, police released White’s name to the public, and asked anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 911. Less than 24 hours later, detectives had their suspect in custody.

“This is what makes my job rewarding,” said Det. Steiger, who believes White acted alone in the murder. “We get to a scene, we have somebody dead, we have no idea what happened and no idea who did it. Then, after a few days of long, hard work we have it solved and have the right person in custody.”

While little is known about White, who could be charged as an adult in the case as early as Tuesday, Seattle Public Schools confirmed that he is enrolled as a senior at Ballard High School. His name also appears on the roster for the school’s varsity football team.

Seattle Public Schools Spokesperson Teresa Whipple said counselors are on hand at the school for students who wish to discuss White’s arrest.

While it has been reported that White lives as a transient, Det. Steiger said he has a mother and father in Seattle who he chooses not to live with.

“He has a home. He has parents,” he said. “His parents are very decent people who’ve been devastated by this. Their hearts go out to the victim’s family as much as anyone else and they’re victims of this tragedy themselves.”

David Peterson’s brother spoke to reporters at the King County Juvenile Detention Center on Monday, where White was scheduled make his first court appearance.

“It’s our responsibility to see this through,” Greg Peterson, of Minnesota, said of the case. “This is a very significant tragedy in our lives.”

Peterson thanked the Seattle Police Department for their hard work and said the family will follow the case through the court system to ensure their loved one gets justice.