Suspect Arrested In Killing Of Auburn Lawyer

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By By KOMO Staff & News Services

Summary

Police say the suspect was at the lawyer's office on Monday evening for a legal matter, but left after an argument.

Story Published: Apr 14, 2004 at 2:03 PM PDT

Story Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 11:33 AM PDT

Suspect Arrested In Killing Of Auburn Lawyer
AUBURN - Police on Wednesday arrested a man in the beating death of a bankruptcy lawyer.

Lawyer William W. Messer, 57, was found dead in his office Monday night after an apparent struggle. Police said the law office had been broken into repeatedly in recent months.

Police arrested a 42-year-old Auburn man, saying he was at the lawyer's office on Monday evening for a legal matter, but left after an argument. The man returned to Messer's office with a blunt instrument, police alleged, adding they have obtained search warrants for the man's house and vehicle. The arrested man was not immediately identified.

In a statement late Wednesday, police said the investigation was continuing but "this does not appear to be a random crime, but directed at Mr. Messer."

Officers went to the office in a strip mall and found the body after being contacted late Monday night by a friend who said several telephone calls to the lawyer had gone unanswered, police spokeswoman Cheryl Price said.

Friends and associates said Messer often worked well into the evening. His last court appearance was Monday afternoon in Seattle.

Messer, who had recently sent out notices that he was getting married May 1, was a "regular nice guy," said Todd McCrumb, a lawyer with an office in the same strip mall. "I can't imagine anyone would want to hurt him."

Messer was especially enthusiastic about racehorses, said Ralph Vacca, general manager of the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

"He was a big, tall, handsome, good-looking guy who just loved the animals," Vacca said. "He loved studying the pedigrees and came in here all the time asking questions and doing research."

Someone broke into the office and stole cashier's checks in March, assorted papers were taken in a break-in the previous month and cash was stolen in December, Price said. None of the burglaries has been solved, she added.

Messer was admonished in December, the mildest discipline given by the Washington State Bar Association, for failing to appear at a bankruptcy hearing, resulting in repossession of a car from two of his clients, records showed.

Other bankruptcy lawyers said they had taken over cases from Messer because clients were upset about the way he was representing them.

Police said there was no indication that the disciplinary case had anything to do with his death.