New Evidence Released In David Brame Murder-Suicide

New Evidence Released In David Brame Murder-Suicide

Tools

Story Published: Sep 30, 2003 at 9:09 AM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:11 AM PDT

By KOMO Staff & News Services

Watch the story
TACOMA - A worried-sounding Crystal Brame told a counselor's answering machine the day before she was shot that her husband, Tacoma Police Chief David Brame, had threatened her and that she had increased concerns about her safety. The next day, David Brame fatally shot her before turning his gun on himself.

The message was recorded after news of the Brames' messy divorce filing broke in local publications, and Mrs. Brame, 35, was worried about her husband's past threats.

"He has told me that he hasn't even begun, that I haven't seen anything yet" she said on the message she left Dr. Max Knauss on the afternoon of Friday, April 25. "I have a greater concern for my personal safety, now more than ever."

Knauss apparently didn't hear the message until after her shooting, Gig Harbor Police Chief Mitch Barker said.

The tape and various crime-scene photographs were released by Barker's department on Tuesday as a follow-up to last week's release of the department's police file on the case.

The police department's investigation found that David Brame, 44, told at least four people during the 24 hours before the shootings that he thought his career was finished.

"We had a number of requests for the entire police file," Barker said. "We released the bulk of it last week. The reason this was delayed - we had to get them to her family so they had the opportunity, if they wished, to have some of it blocked for privacy reasons and they did not."

The photographs are mostly of the Brames' cars and the store parking lot where the shootings took place. No bodies are shown, although there is a close-up of Brame's pistol, as well as shots of bloodstained pavement and the gore-soaked interior of Mrs. Brame's car.

Barker said his investigators took only a comparative handful of photographs because most of the crime scene work was done by Pierce County sheriff's investigators.

The message tape was the only audio tape in the file, Barker said. Although Mrs. Brame made 911 calls in the months and weeks leading up to her death, they went to a regional system that is not administered by the city of Gig Harbor.

Weather & Traffic

Icon
Current Temp 64.0 °F
A Few Clouds
More Weather

Weather & Traffic

More Weather

On Demand

Resources and info you need to prepare for the switch to DTV.

Stay Connected

YouNews

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Marketplace