King County prosecutors link suspect to second axe murder near Seattle choir offices

SEATTLE — King County prosecutors aim to charge an axe murder suspect in connection with a second similar crime. The incidents happened just weeks apart.

Prosecutors seek to charge Liam Kryger with the grisly murder of a homeless man near the Seattle Men's and Women's Chorus offices. Additionally, at a hearing scheduled for Monday, they will make a motion that Kryger be held without bail.

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Paul Ewell was the homeless man found dead with obvious head trauma at the Seattle Choir Association on First Hill on Feb. 10.

Craig Coogan with the chorus told KOMO News he's happy to hear of a potential resolution to this horrendous crime, and after they've boosted security measures around their building.

"The wheels of justice are moving, and, it does give us a sense of security and peace that the risk is not just out there and it’s identified," Coogan stated.

Kryger was arrested in March for a different murder that was captured on surveillance video, and he's being held on a $5 million bail. Police say Kryger killed Daravuth Van on Feb. 22 as Van slept at the entrance to Seattle Town Hall on First Hill.

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The probable cause documents say a man called police to report he found the man dead at the chorus offices with severe traumatic injuries to the face and skull around 7:15 a.m.

The medical examiner determined a weapon, like an axe, was used to strike Ewell in the head three times. Investigators say surveillance video showed a likely suspect with what looked like an axe near the scene just after 2 a.m., then left within minutes.

An investigator in the probable cause documents states he believes a single male suspect was likely involved in both attacks due to the suspect's physical build captured on surveillance video at both scenes. Additionally, the suspect in both instances killed people who were believed to be defenseless, sleeping homeless people in or adjacent to the First Hill neighborhood.

The offices of the Men's and Women's Choruses were also the target of multiple break-ins leading up to the murder of Ewell. According to court documents, investigators found a laptop belonging to the chorus offices in Kryger's apartment. For now, police report the break-ins are a separate but open investigation. If detectives are able to determine probable cause, Kryger could face additional charges for burglary.