Body found under slab of concrete in Arlington
Feb 14, 2014, 10:51 AM | Updated: 4:51 pm
Police have arrested a woman in the suspected murder of her husband 10 years ago after discovering his body buried beneath a slab of concrete at this shop in Arlington. (KING 5/Elisa Hahn photo)
(KING 5/Elisa Hahn photo)
A body has been found buried underneath a slab of concrete in Arlington and a 48-year-old woman is in custody suspected of murder.
Shari Ireton with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office says deputies served a search warrant Thursday and discovered a body they believe to be the property owner’s husband who disappeared in 2004.
Court documents reveal investigators received a tip in December and eventually obtained a court order to secretly record a conversation. Detectives believe that Michele Donohue stabbed her husband and left him to die because he wouldn’t apologize to her.
Investigators believe the body was dismembered and buried. At some point, investigators believe three people, including Donohue’s current husband, dug up the body and re-buried it under a concrete slab on Donohue’s property, performing a service after the re-burial.
“We think that the victim was her husband but we’re waiting to receive confirmation of the ID of the remains,” says Ireton.
Investigators said Donohue told many different people that her husband had left in 2004 with a younger woman, leaving behind a prized collection of cars. His employer, the Boeing company, eventually paid Donohue almost $125,000 from his retirement plan, according to the court document. Her divorce became final in 2005 and investigators also learned that Donohue sold property she was awarded in the divorce settlement for $110,000.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner is working to identify the body and determine cause of death.
Detectives also discovered what appeared to be a chop shop operation on the property. A stolen pickup was recovered and detectives collected other evidence from the location.
