Victims identified in triple slaying in Lewis County; suspect still sought

The suspect in Saturday's triple murder in Lewis County was still on the loose Sunday night, the Lewis County Sheriff's Office said, more than a day after he allegedly shot and killed three people, including a teenager.

David J. West Sr., 52, of Salkum; his 16-year-old son, David J. West Jr.; and Tony E. Williams, 50, of Mineral, were identified as the deceased. A fourth, unnamed victim survived the pre-dawn shooting and was being treated at an undisclosed hospital.

The Lewis County sheriff believes John Allen Booth Jr., a 31-year-old felon, likely was trying to collect a drug debt when he allegedly shot the four people in a home near Onalaska about 2 a.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, investigators released the description of a car Booth may be driving. The car is a turquoise 1995 Saturn coupe, with a Washington license plate 319-UEB.

Booth, who was released from his third stay in a state prison in December, is considered "armed and extremely dangerous," according to Lewis County sheriff's Cmdr. Steve Aust.

Anyone with information is urged to contact 911 immediately. CrimeStoppers of Lewis County is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in this case.

Investigators tracked Booth's cellphone to Spokane around noon Saturday, but Aust said investigators were unsure why he was there.

Several law-enforcement jurisdictions are helping with the statewide search.

The Department of Corrections (DOC), which is supervising Booth, has issued a nationwide arrest warrant.

The shooting victims' relationship to the suspect was still being investigated, Aust said.

Danny Williams, 52, who lives in Mineral, said his younger brother Tony was a carpenter who lived in the Lewis County logging community of Randle with his mother and 12-year-old son, Cody.

"My brother was just an innocent bystander, trying to help a friend move," Danny Williams said. "I can't believe my baby brother's dead."

West Sr. was a finish carpenter who built cabinetry, did custom wood working, and bought and sold vehicles on the side, Williams said.

The 16-year-old, David "DJ" West Jr., played in the high-school band.

"He was the most polite kid, quiet, good in school, never smart-talked anybody," Williams said.

Booth has an extensive criminal history dating back to his early teens, including convictions for violent assaults and weapons charges.

Most recently, he was released from prison in December after serving more than five years of an eight-year sentence for burglary, assault and witness tampering in Lewis County, said DOC spokesman Chad Lewis.

Booth previously served four years in prison, beginning in 1999, for hitting a man in the head with a framing hammer during a drug robbery.

He also has served time for gun theft.

The staff in the DOC's Tacoma office, which was supervising Booth, and the department's fugitive task force are assisting in the search, Lewis said.

Several law-enforcement jurisdictions are also helping.

Neighbors said West and his family moved into a rental house on a 5-acre parcel in Salkum, near Onalaska, about a year ago.

Neighbor Gordon Zepp said he complained to the Lewis County sheriff about suspicious traffic to West's house last year.

"There was all kinds of traffic," said Zepp. "Often there could be 15 to 20 cars a day, and sometimes the traffic could be constant. They were all ages and drove Jaguars, Mercedes and beaters."

Zepp said a deputy visited West's house after his complaint, and traffic subsided.

West was charged with 15 felony counts in Lewis County in June of last year, and pleaded guilty to assault and robbery charges in September.

He remained out on bail pending a sentencing date later this fall, according to court records.

Seattle Times news producer Nikolaj Lasbo contributed to this report. Sanjay Bhatt: 206-464-3103 or sbhatt@seattletimes.com.