Snohomish County Sheriff joins drive-by killing case in Lake Stevens
Jun 3, 2013, 12:47 PM | Updated: 3:52 pm
Detectives are searching for a motive and a suspect in the drive-by killing of a 15-year-old girl Saturday night in Lake Stevens.
Emergency dispatchers received several 911 calls at about 11:18 p.m. reporting shots fired in the area of South Davies Road on the south side of Lake Stevens. Police officers found the girl unresponsive.
Lake Stevens Police asked the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit for help in the investigation.
“We’re putting together all the evidence that has been provided through witness reports and evidence that’s being gathered,” said Sheriff’s spokesman Sherry Ireton, who added it’s not clear if it was a random shooting. “At this point, we do not have any suspects,” said Ireton, adding detectives would welcome tips from the public.
The victim in the shooting has not been identified by the county medical examiner, but friends say Molly Conley, a freshman at Seattle’s Bishop Blanchet High School, had been celebrating her birthday with friends. She was shot and killed while walking along S. Lake Stevens Road.
Statement from the Conley family
“We loved Molly so very much. She was a great girl, she loved her family, her friends, her school and she loved life. She loved her sister, her brother and her parents. She was from a large family, including the Conroys of Seattle and the Conleys of Spokane.”
“She loved to smile … she gave smiles … she had a generous spirit,” said Molly’s mom Susan Arksey.
A memorial service was held Monday morning at the school.
“She was really funny, she was really outgoing,” said Alexis Capestany, a sophomore at the school. “She would talk to any single person, anyone in the room. She laughed all the time.”
Ben Flanagan said Molly’s brother, Johnny, talked about his sister.
“He just told us to be sure to say ‘I love you’ to the people that we care about because he doesn’t remember the last time he told his sister that he loved her,” Flanagan told KING-5.
Molly’s mother said she and her daughter started an organization called “Mother’s Helper.” It helps mothers with babies who have just arrived in domestic violence shelters in Seattle. They would deliver diapers, clothing, and formula, based on what the shelters need.
Rather than flowers, the family is accepting donations to Mother’s Helper. They can be made at Bank of America, addressed to Mary Clare (Molly).
There were two other calls to 911 Saturday night of possible shots fired in the same general area, said Ireton, but there is no evidence linking those calls to the killing of the 15-year-old girl. She said “shots fired” calls are fairly common on weekend nights in the county.
They are urging people who may have information about the crime to call the Lake Stevens Tip Line, 425-377-3214, or the Snohomish County Major Crimes Unit, 425-388-3845.
