Police investigate second Sequim murder; gunman still on loose
SEQUIM, Wash. -- The search continues for a man suspected of killing a 19-year-old man at a home in Sequim Tuesday morning.
And now deputies are investigating a second murder -- a 65-year-old man who was found in the Diamond Point area late Tuesday afternoon, that could be connected.
“This is not a shooting for sure, but there's another dead body involved with this,” Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict told the Peninsula Daily News. "I know it was a homicide, but I think it occurred a couple of days ago.”
Benedict said it appeared to be related to the shooting that occurred in the Dungeness area Tuesday morning that claimed the life of David J. Randle. Benedicit said it also appeared connected because the suspected shooter was believed to be driving the Diamond Point victim's vehicle.
“I suspect the Diamond Point victim was killed before the (Dungeness) victim,” Benedict said.
Deputies and police identified the man they were seeking as John Francis Loring, 45, who Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict described as “armed and extremely dangerous.”
Benedict said Loring — described as 6 feet 6 inches tall with long brown hair in a ponytail and wearing glasses — fled westbound from the home in the 3900 block of Woodcock Road driving a 2001 white Dodge Dakota pickup truck with a white canopy. Benedict said Loring is believed to be carrying the handgun that was used to kill Randle.
Late in the afternoon, the sheriff's office said the white pickup had been recovered, and Loring was now believed to be driving a 1985 blue Volkswagen van bearing Washington license plates 613-PMG.
Eyewitnesses told deputies that a man they identified as Loring approached the bright blue house at Woodcock Road and Meyer Andrew Lane. An altercation occurred in which at least one shot was fired, striking and killing the younger man, the Sheriff's Office said. One of the witnesses called 9-1-1 to report the shooting.
Loring knew the victim but was not related to Randle, said Benedict, who did not provide further information.
Loring is homeless and living in his truck but was previously served with a restraining order that prevented him from living at an earlier residence in Sequim, Benedict said.
Along with investigators from the Sheriff's Office, personnel with the Sequim Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the State Patrol and Clallam County Fire District No. 3 were at the house after the shooting occurred Tuesday morning.
Loring had a prior conviction
Loring was arrested earlier this year by the Sequim Police Department for investigation of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, Benedict said. Loring had been convicted of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, according to county Superior Court records.
He was charged Jan. 9 with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and violation of a no-contact, protection or restraining order.
Loring is out on $5,000 bail on the weapons and violation-of-no-contact charges, according to court records. A trial is scheduled for March 27 in Clallam County Superior Court.
He is represented on the weapons charge by Port Angeles lawyer Ralph Anderson.
“I've already indicated, at least initially, I will represent him” if Loring is charged with murder, Anderson said late Tuesday.
At least 10 squad cars from different police agencies and Clallam County Fire District No. 3 emergency vehicles converged on and near the scene shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The stretch of Woodcock Road in front of the house was blocked off for about an hour, requiring traffic to take detours in both directions.
Fire district medics attended to the gunshot victim, and a crew from Olympic Ambulance was called to the scene by law enforcement to evaluate the man who had been shot, who was lying outside the home.
Peninsula Daily News is a newspaper partner of KOMO News
And now deputies are investigating a second murder -- a 65-year-old man who was found in the Diamond Point area late Tuesday afternoon, that could be connected.
“This is not a shooting for sure, but there's another dead body involved with this,” Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict told the Peninsula Daily News. "I know it was a homicide, but I think it occurred a couple of days ago.”
Benedict said it appeared to be related to the shooting that occurred in the Dungeness area Tuesday morning that claimed the life of David J. Randle. Benedicit said it also appeared connected because the suspected shooter was believed to be driving the Diamond Point victim's vehicle.
“I suspect the Diamond Point victim was killed before the (Dungeness) victim,” Benedict said.
Deputies and police identified the man they were seeking as John Francis Loring, 45, who Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict described as “armed and extremely dangerous.”
Benedict said Loring — described as 6 feet 6 inches tall with long brown hair in a ponytail and wearing glasses — fled westbound from the home in the 3900 block of Woodcock Road driving a 2001 white Dodge Dakota pickup truck with a white canopy. Benedict said Loring is believed to be carrying the handgun that was used to kill Randle.
Late in the afternoon, the sheriff's office said the white pickup had been recovered, and Loring was now believed to be driving a 1985 blue Volkswagen van bearing Washington license plates 613-PMG.
Eyewitnesses told deputies that a man they identified as Loring approached the bright blue house at Woodcock Road and Meyer Andrew Lane. An altercation occurred in which at least one shot was fired, striking and killing the younger man, the Sheriff's Office said. One of the witnesses called 9-1-1 to report the shooting.
Loring knew the victim but was not related to Randle, said Benedict, who did not provide further information.
Loring is homeless and living in his truck but was previously served with a restraining order that prevented him from living at an earlier residence in Sequim, Benedict said.
Along with investigators from the Sheriff's Office, personnel with the Sequim Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, the State Patrol and Clallam County Fire District No. 3 were at the house after the shooting occurred Tuesday morning.
Loring had a prior conviction
Loring was arrested earlier this year by the Sequim Police Department for investigation of being a convicted felon in possession of a weapon, Benedict said. Loring had been convicted of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, according to county Superior Court records.
He was charged Jan. 9 with second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and violation of a no-contact, protection or restraining order.
Loring is out on $5,000 bail on the weapons and violation-of-no-contact charges, according to court records. A trial is scheduled for March 27 in Clallam County Superior Court.
He is represented on the weapons charge by Port Angeles lawyer Ralph Anderson.
“I've already indicated, at least initially, I will represent him” if Loring is charged with murder, Anderson said late Tuesday.
At least 10 squad cars from different police agencies and Clallam County Fire District No. 3 emergency vehicles converged on and near the scene shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday.
The stretch of Woodcock Road in front of the house was blocked off for about an hour, requiring traffic to take detours in both directions.
Fire district medics attended to the gunshot victim, and a crew from Olympic Ambulance was called to the scene by law enforcement to evaluate the man who had been shot, who was lying outside the home.
Peninsula Daily News is a newspaper partner of KOMO News
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