A man has been charged in a decade-old cold case where the victim was found dead on the floor of his Seattle apartment, covered in blankets.
Thomas Hess was discovered with his hands tied behind his back with shoelaces, next to a can of Easy-Off oven cleaner on February 14, 2015, KIRO7 reported. His death was ruled a homicide after a medical examiner found blunt force injuries to his face, neck and torso. His cause of death was probable mechanical asphyxia, according to the outlet.
In 2016, evidence submitted to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab revealed that DNA had been found on the shoelaces and back of the victim’s neck, KING5 reported.
Earlier this year, the crime lab identified the DNA as belonging to Clay Fosse. He was charged with second-degree murder this week.
Fosse “appears to have bound, severely beaten, and strangled the victim to death. He then appears to have attempted to conceal his presence by dousing the victim in oven cleaner and covering his body,” according to court filings.
It was not immediately clear why it took nine years to charge Fosse in the case after his DNA was discovered at the crime scene. The Independent has contacted the Seattle Police Department for more information.
There were no further details on the relationship between Fosse and Hess.
“The defendant does not appear to have any ties to Seattle, King County, or Washington State, save for the few months he appears to have been in Seattle in 2015 as documented by his police contacts,” prosecutors also wrote in court documents.
Fosse is serving time in New Mexico for larceny and aggravated battery, according to prison records. He has also served time for false imprisonment, theft, kidnapping, and other crimes, records show.
“Given the clear danger he would pose to the community and his lack of any ties to the area, a high bail is justified,” prosecutors argued.
His bail has been set at $5 million, KIRO7 reported. Fosse is scheduled to be arraigned on November 19, court records show.
