Seattle, WA

Seattle’s first homicide of 2026 is a case that began more than 50 years ago

Published

2 weeks ago

February 19, 2026

Seattle’s first homicide of 2026 is a case that began more than 50 years ago

SEATTLE – In 1973, a 19-year-old man was shot near Garfield High School, a tragedy that left him paralyzed for the rest of his life. The medical examiner has now officially ruled his recent death a homicide — a rare “delayed death” directly linked to those decades-old injuries.

Prosecutors say the case is legally closed because the suspects are now dead. Still, it raises a question: What happens to cases that don’t end with an arrest?

Local perspective:

Detective Rolf Norton has dedicated his career to finding answers in cases many assume are over. Norton refuses to call them “cold cases.” He insists they are not forgotten or “sitting on the shelf collecting dust.”

For Norton, they are not over — just unfinished.

Norton has been with Seattle police for 31 years, including the past 24 in homicide.

What they’re saying:

“There is no greater mission working homicides is what I wanted to do when I first got hired,” Norton said.

Waking up every day, he said, is easy. The challenge, fulfillment, significance and importance are why he doesn’t hesitate when he talks about murder investigations.

“There is no other crime that comes to the level of homicide. It’s the Fifth Commandment; it’s the foundation of society. It begins and ends with ‘We won’t kill each other,’ and to be tasked with investigating those crimes is really a great honor,” Norton said.

A Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington, Norton worked as a legal assistant for the King County Prosecutor’s Office before being hired by Seattle police in 1994, when the city had about 500,000 residents.

“Flash me back to 1994 — I take a look, and then take the blindfold off. In 2026, I’ll look around, and I won’t recognize it,” Norton said.

Policing has changed, too — no body cameras then, no doorbell cameras, and certainly no security footage on every block.

“If the Green River Killer had been active in 2026 instead of 1983, we would have had him after number one or number two, because we would have had him on camera,” Norton said, referring to the serial killer who terrorized the region in the 1980s.

Dig deeper:

DNA technology has also evolved dramatically over the past two decades, from limited testing in the late 1990s to breakthroughs in genetic genealogy that help identify suspects decades later.

“In the past, it’s been more about, ‘We have this result. What can we do with it? How can we interpret it? How can we make it better?’ Now it’s — we go back to the start, starting from scratch. It’s crazy, and I’m excited with the optimism that all this brings,” Norton said.

Even with new tools, not every case has an ending.

“I’m on a one-person mission to change the vernacular. I can’t stand the word ‘cold case,’” Norton said. “I don’t call them cold cases because I’m working them.”

He says they are not binders that have sat untouched for decades at the bottom of a vault.

“If you walked into my office, I probably have 100 case files, and they’re all piled up in a very organized manner for me,” Norton said.

These are not just files — they are the names of someone’s loved one. Norton says he takes them home mentally and, at times, physically.

“There’s been some cases where I’ve printed out the original follow-up that the initial detectives produced, and have left them at every sleeping area in my house, and sometimes just pick it up and start reading saying, ‘What did I miss?’” Norton said.

Why you should care:

One of the cases he has carried for a decade is the killing of 14-year-old Tanya Frazier, who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered in 1994. An arrest was finally made last year, more than 30 years later.

“I’m pleased we got to where we are today, that we have made an arrest, but the process isn’t done,” Norton said.

Another case is “Baby Boy Doe,” found dead in November 1997 in a north Seattle gas station trash can after his mother delivered him and left him to die. Despite police sharing images of the mother walking toward the restroom, the case remained unsolved for years.

“I come to the photos of Baby Doe in a garbage can and it’s mind-blowing. Frankly, it’s life-changing, you see something that you immediately want to file away and never go back to, but you can’t because you have a job, a mission, and no one is looking out for baby doe, except for us,” Norton said, describing the crime scene photos publicly for the first time.

The mother, Christine Warren, was convicted in January 2023, but for years many believed the case would never be solved.

“It’s important to know that this child wasn’t forgotten,” said Casey McNerthney of the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

McNerthney said the same goes for the case of Joseph Garrett, even though it cannot be prosecuted.

Garrett was 19 when, according to a brief three-paragraph article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, he was shot in the shoulder during a fight with another teen near Garfield High School. The bullet lodged in his spine, paralyzing him.

“It’s encouraging to see that Ralph Norton would see how police was on top of this one,” McNerthney said. “Many of the cases that people assume aren’t being looked at are actually on his desk.”

He also offered a warning.

“If somebody thinks they’ve gotten away with it because it’s a few years, or even a few decades in the past, they’re wrong. If you never know when that knock on the door will come, and at some point it will come,” McNerthney said.

For families, he added, time feels different.

“We know that for the surviving family members in these cases, every day is like the day they found out,” McNerthney said.

Norton acknowledges that being the face of that pain is not easy.

“You’re the face of the worst thing that ever happened to them and the family members, and you don’t always have good news,” Norton said.

When asked how he moves forward in each case knowing many remain unsolved for families, Norton said, “I think you need to focus on the process and not the result, and you need to be cognizant of what you can address today.”

The odds are not always in his favor.

“It’s tough. These cases are unsolved not because of a lack of effort. They’re unsolved because they’re difficult,” Norton said.

When asked what he would say to families still waiting for answers, Norton did not pause.

“I remember, we remember, I won’t quit. We won’t quit,” Norton said.

Norton has reviewed more than 600 unsolved cases dating from 1907 to 2020. During a recent interview, he shared a list of 13 names — cases for which he is the lead detective and continues to update families.

He is waiting for DNA technology to keep improving, hoping it will one day give families closure. While he does not promise resolutions, he wants families to know their loved ones are not far from his reach.

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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman.

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Joey Daccord makes 35 saves as Seattle Kraken earn 2-1 win over Hurricanes

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Joey Daccord makes 35 saves as Seattle Kraken earn 2-1 win over Hurricanes

article

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 02: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes shoots the puck during the second period of a game against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on March 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Christopher Mast / NHLI / Getty Images)

SEATTLE – Joey Daccord made 35 saves and the Seattle Kraken survived a 6-on-4 penalty kill for the final 90 seconds for a 2-1 victory over the East’s top team in the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.

Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers each scored in the second period for the Kraken as they managed to beat a Hurricanes team that has the second-best record in the NHL, trailing only the Colorado Avalanche. The Kraken are now in a playoff spot by five points as they hold the No. 3 seed in the Pacific Division with 22 games to play.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored the only goal of the night for the Hurricanes late in the second period, but Seattle was able to withstand Carolina’s offensive push in the final period to secure a second straight victory.

The Hurricanes are always a high-volume shooting team and Daccord faced plenty of chances. Carolina had 83 shot attempts to just 31 for the Kraken. Shots on goal were 36-15 in favor of the Hurricanes as well, but scoring chances were just 20-13 in Carolina’s favor as Seattle did a good job limiting the danger of the shots sent at Daccord.

It was an eventful but scoreless first period between the two teams, with Carolina owning a 13-7 edge in shots. All three goals would come in the second.

Adam Larsson – who assisted on both goals for Seattle – deflected an Alexander Nikishin into the neutral zone to start a two-on-one rush chance for Kakko with Berkly Catton in support as Kakko ripped a shot through the armpit of Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen for a 1-0 lead.

Kakko said he wanted to make the pass to Catton, but the lane was covered by Shane Ghostisbehere, so he elected to shoot.

The Kraken earned a power play chance three minutes later on a tripping call against Eric Robinson. Carolina completely neutered the man-advantage for the first 90 seconds before the Kraken appeared to extend the lead.

With 15 seconds left on the power play, the Kraken rushed into the Hurricanes’ zone with Kakko finding a streaking Jaden Schwartz open on the back door for an easy finish behind Andersen. However, Carolina successfully challenged the goal for a missed offsides on Shane Wright that wiped out the goal.

But the Kraken still managed to extend the lead soon after.

Jacob Melanson continues to be a spark plug for Seattle and helped restore the momentum immediately after the disallowed goal. On the shift coming out of the power play, Melanson delivered a big hit and connected with Adam Larsson on a breakout pass that sparked a rush. Ben Meyers crashed toward the net and was able to finish off his own rebound on a pass from Freddy Gaudreau to officially make it a 2-0 lead.

Melanson didn’t even get an assist out of the sequence, but was a big part of creating a goal for Seattle.

After being extremely sharp defensively all night, Carolina finally pounced on an opportunity the Kraken were unable to turn away. Vince Dunn was just unable to control a loose puck in front of Seattle’s net as it landed on the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers instead, who snapped a shot past Daccord to make it a 2-1 game with 90 seconds left in the second period.

The Hurricanes took 32 shots in the third period as they attempted to find a tying goal, but only nine made it to Daccord, and he stopped them all.

Eeli Tolvanen was called for Seattle’s first and only penalty of the night – a holding call after breaking his stick – with 90 seconds left to play. With Andersen on the bench for a six-on-four chance for Carolina, Daccord stopped all three shots he faced to close out the win for Seattle.

The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.

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MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves

Published

14 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves

The Seattle Mariners have had a busy offseason as they try to improve their roster and break through to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Seattle has been active in free agency and on the trade market. One of their final roster questions is who will serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners could make one more move before the start of the season to address this need, potentially through a trade with the Atlanta Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are dealing with some serious injuries to their starting rotation this offseason. After an impressive 2025 campaign, Spencer Schwellenbach has been shut down because of bone spurs. Breakout candidate Hurston Waldrep was also shut down during Spring Training with elbow inflammation. Both pitchers underwent surgery in February, leaving two open spots in Atlanta’s rotation. Let’s break down a mock trade centered on Luis Castillo that could help fill those holes for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves – Seattle Mariners Mock Trade

Atlanta Braves receive SP Luis Castillo

Seattle Mariners receive C Sean Murphy, SP Owen Murphy

In this mock trade, the Braves acquire All-Star starter Luis Castillo. In exchange, the Mariners receive former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy and a young pitching prospect in Owen Murphy.

Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Luis Castillo would slot into the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation behind Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. He has been very effective for the Mariners since they acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline four seasons ago. In 2025, Castillo went 11–8 in 32 games with a 3.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts. His fantasy value would likely dip if he left Seattle’s pitcher-friendly ballpark. Still, he has proven himself as a reliable, effective starter through consistent performance, and he would play a key role for Atlanta.

With the Mariners, Sean Murphy would serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. He would likely see a drop in playing time in Seattle, but this move could also give the Mariners more opportunities to use Raleigh at DH. With the fifth spot open in the Seattle rotation, Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell would be viable, experienced options. Alternatively, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are elite prospects who have had strong Spring Trainings and could break camp on Opening Day. The young pitching prospect Owen Murphy would also join a talented farm system and provide a future option for the rotation.

VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year

(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)

By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.

Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.

As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.

There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.

She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.

With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.

“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.

You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.

“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.

“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.

“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”

Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”

Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.

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