OLYMPIA, Wash. (Court TV) — Authorities are “reasonably certain” two bodies discovered by hunters in a remote Washington forest are those of a missing well-known chiropractor and her husband. Police had reported the couple missing after finding a disturbing crime scene while conducting a welfare check.
Karen and Davido Koeps (GoFundMe page organized by the Koeps’ extended family)
When police responded to the home of Karen and Davido Koeps on Nov. 13, they immediately knew they had a crime scene, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a press conference on Thursday.
“Based on the evidence they found at the scene, the amount of blood that was located and a number of other things, it was determined that Karen and Davido were both missing, and it was unlikely that they survived their attacks,” Sheriff Sanders said.
That same day, investigators identified a potential suspect in the case, Timothy Burke, who had been renting a property about an hour south of Seattle from the Koeps. Burke, 45, had one of the victim’s credit cards in his possession and was arrested for I.D. theft by the Thurston Sheriff’s Office but was later released without sufficient probable cause to keep him.
On Nov. 17, an individual spotted remains while riding an ATV in the woods and called the police.
On Nov. 18, Burke was arrested and charged with first-degree kidnapping and murder of Karen and Davido Koeps. Sheriff Sanders said the bodies were found less than a half mile from the Koeps property, where Burke had been living.
When asked how the bodies got to the area where they were found, Sheriff Sanders said while authorities are still investigating, they believe some transportation was involved since the crime scene was “quite a ways away” from where the bodies were discovered and are using drone technology and mapping as evidence.
Burke remains in custody at Thurston County Jail without bail until his arraignment.
