Encampment Homicide Investigation Suspect in Custody and Charged with 2 nd Degree Murder

Seattle, Washington- The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the Washington State Patrol (WSP) has completed its homicide investigation of the human remains found in an encampment near the junction of I-5 and I-90 in Seattle on Friday, September 27. A suspect has been taken into custody and charged. 57 year old Steven Thanh Nyguen has been officially charged with Murder in the 2nd Degree in the King County Superior Court. 

“According to Nguyen, Reeder overdosed on fentanyl and died when the two were smoking together. Nguyen got scared and didn’t notify authorities. Instead, he placed her body in a sleeping bag and wrapped it in plastic before putting her into the suitcase. He then stashed the suitcase inside the wooden podium structure under his bed.”

Mr. Nyguen resided in the same encampment where the victim’s remains were found. Those remains were turned over to the King County Medical Examiner and were later positively identified as 37-year-old Shannon Marie Caslin Reeder. Detectives were able to establish that the last confirmed local sighting of Ms. Reeder was in November of 2023. 

The suspect was arrested on a separate Department of Corrections warrant on October 3, and was later interviewed regarding the case. Investigators established that Ms. Reeder was known to visit the suspect at the encampment but had housing elsewhere. In the course of the interview and investigation, CID detectives found evidence of the suspect’s alleged involvement in the homicide.