Two men found dead inside a Seattle Housing Authority building in Belltown on Monday appear to be the victims of homicide, Seattle police said.
Two people found dead inside a Seattle Housing Authority building in Belltown on Monday appear to have been beaten to death, Seattle police said.
The bodies had been in the apartment for more than a few days, a law-enforcement source said.
Detectives are investigating the deaths as a double homicide, Assistant Police Chief Robert Merner said. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office will officially declare the cause and manner of death, as well as identify the two.
Kerry Coughlin, a spokeswoman for the Seattle Housing Authority, said one of the victims was a Housing Authority tenant. “There was no one else on the lease, so we don’t know about the other gentleman,” she said.
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Coughlin did not identify the victim, other than to say that he is a disabled man who had rented the unit at Bell Tower, 2215 First Ave., since 2005.
Staff members at Bell Tower grew concerned about the tenant after a friend contacted them because he hadn’t heard from the man for several days. The friend also contacted Seattle police, who discovered the bodies while conducting a welfare check on Monday.
“It’s very tragic when something like this happens and understandably very concerning to the entire community. We take great measures to make sure our buildings are safe,” Coughlin said.
Police ask anyone with information on the case to call 206-233-5000.