Suspect in couple's disappearance 'was tenant they were planning to evict'

21 November 2023 , 14:15

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Karen Koep and her husband, Davido, are missing (Image: Pauline Dutton)

The main suspect in the disappearance of a couple who went missing from their home and are now believed to be dead was a tenant they were about to evict, family have said.

Karen Koep and her husband, Davido, from Washington State, have been missing for a week as officers work to track down the couple. However, on Friday, the sheriff's office said in a statement they now believe the pair to be dead.

The statement came as a man in his 40s who was known to the couple was arrested on two counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the first degree. Thurston County Sheriff's Office said: "Over the last several days, detectives have worked tirelessly investigating Davido and Karen Koep's disappearance.

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"Working with our local, state, and federal partners, we have gathered evidence to identify a suspect in their disappearance. Throughout the investigation, we have been in contact with the family of the missing couple, and sadly, we do not believe the couple survived the attack at their residence."

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On Monday, Lieutenant Mike Brooks confirmed to CNN the identity of the man arrested as Timothy Burke. According to Karen's sister, Pauline Dutton, Burke worked at a rental property the couple owned in exchange for housing and was about to be evicted.

The couple disappeared with trails of blood left in their home after Karen didn't show up for work (Pauline Dutton)

Ms Dutton said she wasn't aware of any previous incidents between Burke and the couple, but said she thought they were in the process of having him evicted from the rental property he was working on in exchange for staying there. She said: "I believe that my brother-in-law was in the process of evicting Timothy. He gave him a lot of chances and was really kind to him."

Burke appears in court on Monday for a preliminary hearing where he was told of the first-degree murder and kidnapping charges against him. The Thurston County Sheriff's Office confirmed the Olympia man has been held without bail.

The couple were discovered missing by police from their home at Lake Forest Development on November 13. They had been called to carry out a welfare check after Karen didn't show up for work.

According to her sister, Karen worked at a chiropractor clinic and was always on time, so it was suspicious when she hadn't arrived at her usual time of 5am. Ms Dutton added: "She was a workaholic and very dedicated to all her patients."

Karen Koep worked at a chiropractor and was always known to be punctual (Thurston County Sheriff Office)

Davido, who dropped his last name legally, had allowed the man to work for him in exchange for letting him stay in one of his properties (Thurston County Sheriff Office)

She said that authorities had told her the couple's home, the crime scene, was brutal and violent, court documents say officers at the scene found large pools of blood at the home along with signs that someone had tried to clean it up. She explained: "There was blood in the house, and they were gone."

Karen's car was later found at a trailhead just a few miles from their home just a day after officers turned up at their house to carry out the welfare check. Ms Dutton said; "I believe this was definitely a dispute, a tenant dispute. They own property and he was a tenant."

"There was always some drama with the tenants", Ms Dutton also said. The suspect was discovered hiding along a trail not far from the crime scene. According to local news outlets, there is a belief the couple were shot before their bodies were loaded into the boot of their car. KOMO News reported that court documents say deputies found a trail of blood in the couple's home leading to the garage which would be "consistent" with where the boot of the car would be.

Ms Dutton said she was encouraging everyone to smile at a stranger to honour her sister and brother-in-law. She said: "Do something where you engage with your community and give back. I want to be more like them."

Fiona Leishman