Judge holds Skagit shooting suspect on $5 million bail

ALGER, Skagit County — The man arrested in the deaths of six people and the wounding of three others in a shooting and stabbing rampage here is being held for investigation of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.

The suspect, 28-year-old Isaac Zamora of Alger, made his first court appearance this afternoon in District Court and is being held on $5 million bail.

During the brief hearing, Zamora refused to answer several questions from Judge David Svaren.

Pam Springer, the district court administrator, said he is likely to be charged Friday in Skagit County Superior Court.

Zamora ended Tuesday's violent rampage and an ensuing high-speed chase along Interstate 5 when he drove a pickup to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office and was arrested.

Anne Jackson, a 40-year-old Skagit County sheriff's deputy, was identified as the slain law enforcement officer. A second victim was identified Wednesday afternoon as 64-year-old Leroy Lange of Methow, Okanogan County. He was driving an SUV south on I-5 when he was shot.

At least one of the other victims also was a woman, police said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a motorcade that included a hearse bearing Jackson's body drove from Alger, where her body was found, to a funeral home in Mount Vernon. Dozens of police cars and motorcycles were in the motorcade.

Timeline of violent spree

Police this morning laid out a timeline of Zamora's rampage.

The initial 911 call came in at 2:19 p.m.

At 2:50 p.m., Jackson arrived at the scene in the 19300 block of Bridle Place near Alger, a town of fewer than 100 people in North Skagit County.

The rampage came to light when Jackson didn't check in with dispatchers, said Washington State Patrol spokesman Keith Leary. Other deputies went to the scene and found her dead. A man was also found dead at the same address, Leary said.

At 4:10 p.m., police got a call that deputies were "under fire."

Police then learned about another gunshot victim, a motorcyclist, who was wounded at a Shell service station.

Officers chased Zamora south on I-5, with Zamora still shooting. State Patrol Trooper Troy Giddings, 42, was shot, and he drove himself to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Police said the driver of an SUV on I-5 was also shot and killed near exit 238, his car coming to rest in the median near Bow Hill Road, Leary said.

At 5 p.m., a woman returned to her home near Alger and found two construction workers dead.

In addition, a 61-year-old Alger man was injured and was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham. A woman in the house reportedly was killed while the man went to a neighbor's house seeking help.

Sgt. Robert Goetz, with the Everett Police Department, said police don't know if Zamora had any relationship to any of the victims, nor did Goetz have any information on Zamora's mental health issues.

"We don't know a motive for the crime. It will develop as we go through the investigation," he said.

Goetz said neighbors at several of the crime scenes have been moved out of their homes and should be allowed to return late this afternoon.

He said more than 100 detectives are working the case.

"Extremely mentally ill"

Dennise Zamora, the suspect's mother, said Tuesday that her son is "extremely mentally ill" and had been living in the woods on and off for years. She said Jackson, the slain deputy, was aware of her son's illness and told the Zamora family to call her anytime for help.

After watching Isaac Zamora walk in and out of neighbors' homes, his mother called deputies on Tuesday. She said her son wasn't aware of his mental illness.

Dennise Zamora said she wished she could switch places with the people slain Tuesday.

"When I say I wish it was me and not them, I mean it from the bottom of my heart," she said, sobbing.

Dennise Zamora said her son had struggled with mental illness since their family's house burned down more than a decade ago. She said he was "agreeable" and "placid" Tuesday morning and that she didn't know what made him snap. She also said she didn't know where he got the gun used in the shootings.

Barbara Crossen, who lives across the street from the Zamora's family, said Dennise Zamora came to Crossen's home Tuesday afternoon and asked her to look after a young boy.

"She said, 'Keep him here, Isaac has gone crazy,' " said Crossen, who added she'd known Isaac Zamora since he was born and never saw any signs of trouble.

"He was always quiet and never demanded a lot of attention or anything. That's why I think we're so shocked," said Crossen.

Deputy had "soft spot for people"

Monique Stefens, of Skagit County, said she and Anne Jackson had been best friends since attending Santa Barbara (Calif.) High School in the late 1980s. She said Jackson moved to Skagit County to be closer to Stefens and her family, including her sons, who called her "Auntie Anne."

She started work at the department as an animal control officer in 2002, and became a deputy in 2005, authorities said at a news conference Tuesday night.

"She just loved being a deputy," Stefens said, crying. "She just loved her job. She put her heart and thought into it."

Stefens said Jackson was an accomplished equestrian who owned a large property with horses. Before joining the sheriff's office, Jackson managed a horse barn, Stefens said.

While Jackson never mentioned Zamora to Stefens by name, she said it doesn't surprise her that Jackson gave the suspect's family her contact information. She said Jackson empathized with people who suffered from mental illness because the deputy's older brother, who has since died, also struggled with mental problems.

"She felt a soft spot for people with mental illness because of her brother," Stefens said this morning. "You could tell throughout her police experiences she never forgot these people were people, too."

Will Reichardt, Skagit County chief criminal deputy, said Jackson worked at a local ranch as a horse trainer before joining the Skagit Valley Sheriff's Office in 2002. He recommended she be hired.

"She was our original animal control officer — the position didn't exist before she developed our unit and she did a great job," said Reichardt, whose eyes filled with tears as he spoke. When he joked that someday she'd become a sheriff's deputy, Jackson said, "No, I love animals. This is my dream job."

But in 2005 she became one of 57 sheriff's deputies responsible for an area with 900 miles of roads. Reichardt said Jackson likely would have become a detective.

Shooter was under state supervision

Zamora was under state supervision and considered a high-risk offender, with convictions for theft and drug possession. In a news release, DOC Secretary Eldon Vail said Zamora had been released from jail during the first week of August. He had been serving time for felony drug possession, according to court records.

After his release, Zamora had reported to his community corrections officer twice as instructed, DOC said. A urine analysis indicated no drug or alcohol consumption.

Vail said DOC would review its supervision of Zamora.

Seattle Times staff reporters Susan Gilmore, Noelene Clark, Sara Jean Green, Steve Miletich, Christine Willmsen, Lornet Turnbull and news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com