Background: News footage shows the house in Gig Harbor, Washington, where two men were discovered with gunshot wounds in April (KING). Inset: Luis Miguel Huitron-Campos during a court appearance (KING).
A Washington man who failed to show up for his father’s and brother’s memorial services has been accused of their alleged double murder.
As per court records reviewed by local ABC station KOMO, 25-year-old Luis Miguel Huitron-Campos was arrested on Tuesday after a probe into a fire at a residence in Gig Harbor, a coastal city approximately 13 miles from Tacoma. On April 8, deputies from Pierce County Sheriff’s Office along with Gig Harbor Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the scene, discovering the remains of a 64-year-old and a 31-year-old man, who were not publicly identified by name but confirmed to be father and son.
Both victims had sustained gunshot wounds to their heads. The medical examiner concluded that the father was still alive when the fire was allegedly started.
Huitron-Campos was the man’s younger son and the brother of the other alleged victim.
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KOMO reported that Huitron-Campos had not been cooperative with police immediately following the fire, and he did not make an appearance at the memorial services for his deceased relatives. KIRO, a local CBS affiliate, reported that a family member stated that they told police they were unable to make contact with Huitron-Campos on April 10.
More reported evidence at the scene included a 9 mm Heckler & Koch pistol found at Huitron-Campos’ home, which matched what investigators believed was the alleged murder weapon for both the father and son.
Cellphone records for Huitron-Campos’ phone placed him at the scene at the time the fire was believed to have been set. Investigators found propane and gas tanks in a shed at his home as well as a rag found in his vehicle that tested positive for accelerant.
According to court documents, investigators spoke with another relative who said that the father had built up a large amount of wealth in the past 30 years. A possible motive for the alleged murders was not made public. Authorities did not release information about what led to Huitron-Campos’ arrest on Tuesday.
Huitron-Campos was charged with two counts of aggravated first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. He is being held in custody on $5 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 18.
