The bodies of a Washington state couple who had gone missing last month after allegedly being kidnapped and murdered by their disgruntled tenant were discovered at a military base Saturday, authorities said.
Thurston County sheriff’s deputies responded to a property owned by Joint Base Lewis-McChord Saturday afternoon for a report of a body that was found by people riding quad bikes through the area.
During the investigation, deputies and military base police found a second body.
“Sadly, we believe Davido and Karen Koep have been located based on the preliminary investigation,” Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a statement.
The couple, both in their 60s, had not been seen or heard from in nearly three weeks.
Karen Koep’s younger sister, Pauline Dutton, reacted to the devastating news with a mixture of shock and relief.
“At first, it felt like another punch to the gut. I got nauseous. I got shaky and sad,” she told the station KIRO7. “[but] I’m grateful. I’m grateful that we were able to find them so that we can now stop worrying. Stop wondering. Have a proper burial and memorial for them.”
The victims’ bodies were discovered less than half a mile from the home that had been rented by their tenant Timothy Burke, who was arrested last month and charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the couple’s disappearance.
Burke, 45, was on the verge of being evicted when he allegedly shot both his landlords inside their Lacey home, Dutton previously told The Post.
The suspect then allegedly dragged Koep and Davido’s bodies to the garage, leaving behind a trail of blood, loaded them into the trunk of their own car and drove off to dispose of them, according to court documents cited by KOMO News.
Burke was arrested four days later, when deputies found him hiding near a hiking trail. He made his initial court appearance on Nov. 20 and was ordered held without bail, after prosecutors argued that he was a flight risk and a danger to the community, reported the station KING5.
Although investigators have not revealed a motive for the cold-blooded double homicide, Koep’s sister said it may have been triggered by Burke’s imminent eviction, coupled with his seemingly deteriorating mental state.
“Apparently, there were some emails that went back and forth between him and Davido,” Dutton said last month. “I think he knew that he was about to be evicted. He was getting really delusional.”
“He thought that Davido was poisoning the water on the property. This poor gentleman definitely was having some mental issues,” she added.
Koep, 63, was a well-respected chiropractor in her community. She and her 68-year-old husband leave behind two sons.