Two men charged in Marysville woman's slaying

After beating a Marysville woman to death with a hammer and stealing her car and credit cards Friday, two men ate at McDonald's, did some shopping at Wal-Mart and then drove the victim's car nearly 2,500 miles before they were caught, according to charging papers filed Wednesday in Snohomish County Superior Court.

Joshua Gilliam, 25, and Ryan Miller, 22, were arrested near the Iowa-Missouri border Tuesday night by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper, according to charging papers and a patrol dispatcher. The two, who are being detained in the Harrison County Jail in Bethany on an investigative hold, were charged Wednesday afternoon with second-degree murder in the death of Shirley Sweeton, 73.

A Marysville police detective left for Missouri on Wednesday to interview the men, said Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Janice Albert.

Though charging documents don't indicate a possible motive for Sweeton's slaying, Gilliam and Miller are accused of using Sweeton's credit cards on their journey across Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri, according to charging documents. The documents say that when they were arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle, Miller allegedly told the trooper: "We did something we should not have done ... ." He also allegedly told him they were on heroin.

Apparently, the men threw the murder weapon from the vehicle as they drove east on Highway 2, charging papers say.

Sweeton's sister went to Sweeton's home in the 7100 block of 70th Avenue Northeast on Monday morning after not hearing from Sweeton all weekend, charging papers say. The sister discovered Sweeton's body lying on her bed, her face covered in blood, the papers say.

"Shirley's purse was open, her debit and credit cards missing. Her closet safe was open and empty. Her prescription medicine was gone as was her red 1998 Buick," the charging papers say.

Before the slaying, Gilliam and Miller were both living at an Everett homeless shelter and were patients at Compass Health, a treatment center for the mentally ill, the papers say.

Earlier this month, Sweeton's 24-year-old granddaughter broke up with Gilliam, her former boyfriend who had previously lived in Sweeton's home and had stolen from her in the past, the papers say. The granddaughter is now living in a group home.

In September, Sweeton filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against Gilliam, accusing him of abusing, coercing and manipulating her developmentally-disabled granddaughter into stealing for him so he could buy drugs, according to court records. Though Sweeton had requested the emergency order be reissued, neither she nor Gilliam showed up for a court hearing in October and the case was dismissed, the records say.

Gilliam is a convicted sex offender with an extensive criminal history, according to court records. Miller also has numerous misdemeanor convictions as both a juvenile and an adult, the records say.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com