Manhunt in slaying of mother, child on Beacon Hill

The man police are seeking in connection with the shootings of a woman and her 13-week-old baby girl — found dead Tuesday in their Beacon Hill home — worried the mother of the slain woman enough that she asked a neighbor to "keep an eye on him."

Neighbors said all four lived in the same house in the 1300 block of South Ferdinand Street. King County records show the house was transferred in 2003 from the mother to her daughter.

Seattle police are calling Daniel Thomas Hicks, 29, a person of interest in the killings and consider him armed and dangerous.

Hicks has no major criminal history, but he was convicted of attempted second-degree malicious mischief in 2002.

Authorities today identified the slain woman as Jennifer Morgan, 28, who they say was dating Hicks. He is believed to be the father of Morgan's baby, Ema.

Harold Shepherd, who lives across the street with his wife, Cynthia, said Morgan's mother told him "she tried to move him out," meaning Hicks.

Shepherd said the grandmother worked evenings at a restaurant in Columbia City and woke up Tuesday morning to find Morgan and Ema shot to death. Police were called at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday.

"I found out about it when the cops came knocking on my door," Shepherd said.

He said he talked to the grandmother twice on Tuesday to express his condolences.

"She was at a loss for words. She was in shock," Shepherd said.

Shepherd said Hicks had displayed a temper a few months ago over an innocuous street-parking issue.

Shepherd said Hicks "came knocking on my door at 1 in the morning, telling me to move my car." Shepherd said he had parked his car on the street in front of where Hicks lived.

Shepherd refused, telling Hicks it's a public street. He said Hicks "stormed out of the gate."

In the malicious-mischief incident, Hicks was arrested in December 2001 after he walked up to a motorist driving slowly down Fifth Avenue, between Pike and Pine streets, and started attacking her car, court papers said.

In the end, a window was shattered and the door was dented.

Hicks told police that he was reacting after the vehicle hit him.

He was initially charged with malicious mischief, but the charge was downgraded through a plea agreement. Hicks' sentence was deferred; he was ordered to complete an anger-management course and pay $967.17 in restitution.

Neighbors said their understanding was that the grandmother lived upstairs in the house, and that Jennifer Morgan, her baby and Hicks lived on the lower floor.

Cynthia Shepherd said she saw Hicks get in his pickup around 6 p.m. Monday and drive away, not returning.

"That was very unusual. He's a hermit. He stays in the house," she said.

Police described Hicks as a light-skinned black male. He is 6-feet-4, 160 pounds, with brown eyes and short hair.

He might be driving a white 2006 Chevrolet pickup with a chrome toolbox in the bed, displaying Washington license-plate A68135Z.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the Seattle Police Homicide Unit at 206-233-5000.

Bob Thomas, who lives nearby and is a block-watch captain, said of Morgan: "She would always smile and wave. Very friendly."

Thomas said Morgan often would walk by, carrying her baby in a sling, walking up to a produce stand a few blocks away.

By 7 in the morning, he said, the woman was on her way to the bus stop, maybe to work, maybe to school, he didn't know which.

"You could set your watch by her," Thomas said.

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