(Cupventi.com) – A chilling tragedy unfolded in Lake Alice, Washington, on October 21, when authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of two adults and three children in a waterfront home. The lone survivor, an 11-year-old girl, escaped by feigning death and fleeing through her bedroom’s fire window. The alleged perpetrator? Her 15-year-old brother, who now stands accused of killing nearly his entire family. As the case progresses, controversy has arisen over the actions of the teen’s defense team during their investigation of the crime scene.
Unfolding the Tragedy
Responding to a 911 call from the suspect, law enforcement arrived at the home to a gruesome scene. The victims, identified as Mark Humiston, 43, Sarah Humiston, 42, and their children—Benjamin, 13, Joshua, 9, and Katheryn, 7—had all been shot. The suspect initially claimed his 13-year-old brother had killed the family before taking his own life. However, investigators believe the 15-year-old staged the scene to frame his younger sibling. Benjamin was found with a gunshot wound to the head and a Glock pistol placed in his hand, a detail detectives assert was manipulated to mislead authorities.
The family’s youngest survivor, an 11-year-old girl, provided crucial testimony. Court documents revealed she pretended to be dead during the attack, only escaping once she felt it was safe. She then sought refuge with a neighbor, reporting that her older brother had committed the heinous crime.
Allegations Against the Defense Team
A week after the murders, members of the suspect’s defense team conducted an authorized 10-hour investigation at the Humiston home. The team, permitted to take photographs and perform a 3D scan of the scene, soon faced allegations from prosecutors that they had overstepped their bounds. According to court documents, the King County Sheriff’s Office claimed evidence had been moved or removed during the defense’s search, including the alleged disappearance of a bottle of Clorox wipes and the movement of backpacks belonging to the victims.
However, these claims were later retracted. Prosecutors admitted they had relied on incomplete photographic evidence, which falsely suggested alterations to the crime scene. “The allegation… that defense must have been responsible for moving the backpacks, and that the Clorox wipes were now out of sight, is therefore inaccurate,” they stated.
Legal Fallout and Defense Response
The fallout from these accusations was significant. Days after the allegations surfaced, the suspect’s initial defense attorneys, Amy Parker and Molly Campera, withdrew from the case, citing staffing shortages. Their replacement, Kristen Gestaut, vehemently defended her predecessors, filing a 31-page brief accusing prosecutors of “false and defamatory allegations” that jeopardized the teen’s right to a fair trial.
Gestaut demanded a public apology and accused the state of engaging in prosecutorial misconduct. The prosecution, in turn, acknowledged their error, attributing the oversight to missing photographs and withdrawing the allegations against the defense team.
The Path Ahead
The 15-year-old faces five counts of first-degree aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder, all with firearm enhancements and domestic violence designations. He is currently being held at the Clark Child and Family Justice Center. His plea remains pending, as the court deliberates whether to transfer the case to adult court. A status conference is scheduled for January 8, 2025.
As the case develops, the events surrounding this tragedy—and the subsequent legal disputes—highlight the complexities of seeking justice in a crime that has left a community reeling.