Investigators say they found about $60,000 in cash and 33 mature marijuana plants at a Kitsap County property where three victims of a quadruple homicide were found in a burning home.
that court records say more than $50,000 was found in a safe under the master bedroom bed and $7,000 was found in a bank bag in a dresser. The marijuana plants were found in a garage.
On it's Facebook page, the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office said the marijuana grow there had a medical authorization posted and that because the family owned a business, they did not consider it unusual for a business owner to have cash on hand.
Detectives are focusing on investigating the murders of this family and not the fact there was a small marijuana grow that had a medicinal authorization posted.
Likewise, Detectives did locate some cash and secured it for safekeeping from the burned-out residence. This family were business owners and it is not unusual for a business owner to have cash on hand.
There were several shell casings recovered from the outside of the residence. At this point in the investigation, we are aware that there was some target shooting at the residence, which was common.
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The three victims were found Saturday after someone called 911 to report violence at the home Friday night. They were identified as 43-year-old Christale Lynn Careaga and 16-year-olds Hunter Schaap and Johnathon Higgins. Careaga's husband, John Careaga, was found dead Sunday in his burned-out pickup truck at a tree farm about 15 miles away.
The court documents don't say whether investigators believe the money or marijuana provided a motive for the killings. No arrests have been made.
Surveillance footage from a convenience store in Seabeck shows John Careaga just hours before the rest of his family was found murdered.
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He was seen on surveillance video at Camp Union Grocery Friday night at 9 p.m. The manager of the store told KIRO 7 Careaga had purchased a pack of cigarettes. Another store employee said he was a frequent customer and someone everyone knew and loved.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office is now able to use the surveillance images to narrow down the timeline of events. Detectives still need the public to call in tips and share any video facing relevant streets.
The department’s Facebook post reads: “Detectives are requesting additional assistance from citizens who live on Holly Road, Lake Tahuyeh Road, Sandhill Road and Seabeck-Holly Road (or general area) that may have any video facing the roadway between 7:00 PM on Friday (01-27-2017) and 2:00 PM on Sunday (01-29-2017) to contact Detective Lissa Gundrum at 360-337-5669.”
Callers may remain anonymous.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
