Two teens who were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a man at his Orting home on Sept. 1, 2022, pleaded guilty Wednesday morning to second-degree murder.
Gabriel Davies and Justin Yoon, now 17, agreed to a sentencing recommendation of 123 months for each. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 6.
Davies, a teenager who went missing under “suspicious circumstances” and was found safe after an extensive search throughout Thurston County, according to Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Darren Moss.
The second suspect was later identified as Justin Jiwoon Yoon.
At about 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2022, deputies responded to a home in the 21900 block of 190th Street East to conduct a welfare check after a 51-year-old Daniel McCaw had reportedly not shown up for work for four days.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner released McCaw’s name on Sept. 7, 2022.
According to the charging documents, deputies smelled what they thought was a decaying body. They also saw a German Shepherd running inside the house and out into the backyard through a doggy door.
After gaining access to the home, deputies found McCaw deceased on the floor with a gunshot wound in his head and a significant amount of blood surrounding the body.
After detectives and forensic investigators were called to the scene, a single spent shell casing was found near McCaw’s body, but no gun had been found.
There were no signs of forced entry into the house and further examination of the victim revealed he had also been stabbed.
Investigators soon learned McCaw had previously been in a relationship with Davies’ mother.
A Thurston County detective was later contacted by Yoon’s father, who said he had information about a Pierce County homicide involving Davies.
According to the Thurston County investigation, a member of Davies’ family said Davies and Yoon had gone camping at Panther Lake with friends and family between Aug. 27, 2022, and Aug. 28, 2022.
Family said Yoon and Davies left the cabin in Mason County on Aug. 28, 2022, just after 12:01 a.m. and returned around 6:30 a.m. They left the Panther Lake location again at 11:45 a.m. and didn’t return.
Pierce County detectives examined surveillance footage at the McCaw’s home and saw two “young skinny males” approach the home from the backyard at about 1:59 a.m. on Aug. 28, 2022.
The two people on the footage crawled into the home through the doggy door. At about 2:41 a.m. McCaw was spotted leaving the detached garage, then “stumbling” back into the home.
At 2:47 a.m. the German Shepherd suddenly ran out of the doggy door, and one minute later the two people exited the home through a side door.
The two people ran back and forth to the garage before leaving the area around 2:52 a.m.
Detectives believe the two people were Davies and Yoon.
On Sept. 2, 2022, Davies’ father called the lead detective with Thurston County, saying, “Gabe was involved in (the victim’s) death.”
According to Davies’ father, Davies was approached by “biker buddies” of McCaw, threatening Davies to steal something from the victim’s home.
Davies confided in Yoon and they developed a “plot” to steal the item from McCaw’s safe.
The two went to the McCaw’s house and snuck through the doggy door.
Davies’ father said when McCaw came home, Yoon “ran after him and stabbed him,” and then “Gabe heard a gunshot.”
Davies’ father said Davies went out to the garage to get the item out of the safe when he heard a second shot.
Davies’ father said Davies was followed by McCaw’s “biker buddies” and pulled him from his truck on Tilley Road.
The blood found in the truck was from the bikers smashing Davies’ face against the inside of the truck.
The “biker buddies” then drove Davies around in a Suburban, roughing him up before they let him go. They also took his shirt and shoes.
Just after 8 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2022. deputies took Davies and Yoon into custody for charges of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Davies later showed detectives where he and Yoon hid two guns that were stolen from McCaw’s home.
Both suspects were booked into Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center.
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