3 found dead near casino in Auburn were slain
AUBURN — Three men were found dead of "homicidal violence" in a car parked near the Muckleshoot Casino on Auburn Way South yesterday morning.
The identities of the three men, who were found without identification or wallets, were unknown yesterday evening.
A person arriving at the casino saw a blue, late-model Honda Civic with three people slumped over and notified authorities at about 10:15 a.m., said Cmdr. Bob Lee of the Auburn Police Department.
The car was parked between the main casino building and the tribe's bingo hall, one of two buildings in the casino complex.
Police yesterday did not reveal the cause of the deaths of the three, who appeared to be in their mid-teens to early 20s.
The bodies were taken to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.
"Certainly there was some evidence of homicidal violence, but determining what type of weapon caused that is going to wait for the autopsy," Lee said.
A casino employee reported seeing the vehicle already parked in the lot at 7 a.m. yesterday, the commander said. The main casino building is open around the clock, and the bingo hall is closed only one hour per day, between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.
Police did not release the name of the vehicle's owner, and it was unclear whether the car belonged to any of the victims.
The car was towed from the scene to a secure location for further investigation about 4:30 p.m.
The parking lot surrounding the casino complex was full of cars yesterday afternoon, as security guards removed protective fencing, crime tape and traffic cones from the area near the stall where the car was parked.
The brightly-lit casino and bingo hall were swarming with weekend gamblers, apparently undeterred by the crime scene. Casino officials had no comment on the deaths.
In December, one man was shot and three arrested after a fight in the casino's parking lot.
The 60,000 square-foot casino, the state's largest and most profitable casino, opened in 1995. It includes an off-track betting area, five restaurants, two lounges, a dance club, banquet facilities and a larger gaming area.
Paysha Stockton can be reached at 206-464-2752 or pstockton@seattletimes.com.
Janet I. Tu can be reached at 206-464-2272 or jtu@seattletimes.com.