Missing woman's body ID'd; father calls slaying 'senseless'

Authorities yesterday confirmed that a woman found shot to death Friday in a gravel pit east of Gold Bar is an 18-year-old Marysville woman reported missing by her family Sept. 27.

Rachel Burkheimer died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.

The announcement confirmed what Burkheimer's family and friends had feared for days. Her father, Bill Burkheimer, said last night the slaying was "senseless beyond comprehension."

"All she saw was good," Burkheimer said. "She never saw bad, and I think that's part of her undoing."

Rachel Burkheimer, who graduated from high school in June, was last seen by friends Sept. 23, when she reportedly was driving a friend to the airport. Her family reported her missing four days later.

Jan Jorgensen, spokeswoman for the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, declined to comment on what investigators believe may have been the reason behind Burkheimer's slaying.

Police on Sunday arrested two men, including Burkheimer's former boyfriend, in connection with her abduction and slaying. The men, ages 20 and 18, were booked for investigation of first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping and are being held in Snohomish County Jail in lieu of $1 million cash-only bail. Both men have extensive criminal records.

A 17-year-old from Lynnwood was arrested Friday and has been booked for first-degree kidnapping in connection with Burkheimer's disappearance. He is being held in Snohomish County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Meanwhile, police yesterday continued to search for three other men who they have identified as "persons of interest." While they have not been charged with any crime in connection with the case, The Seattle Times is naming them to aid in the search. Being sought are Yusef Jihad, 32, of the Everett area, who goes by the nickname "Kevin;" John A. Whitaker, 22, of Everett, who goes by the nickname "Whitt;" and Jeff S. Barth, 22, of Everett. Both Barth and Whitaker have felony criminal records.

According to the arrest information booking reports filed when the suspects were jailed, a woman police think was Burkheimer was seen bound and gagged in the garage of a duplex south of Everett on Sept. 22 or 23.

When Trissa Conner returned home from her classes at Everett Community College, she found a blond-haired woman in her garage. The 24-year-old nursing student rushed past her boyfriend and his friends to help the woman, whom she didn't know.

When she removed the duct tape from the woman's mouth, the injured woman told Conner that her name was Rachel, according to documents.

"She tried to cut the ropes off the girl in the garage," a friend of Conner's family said yesterday. Instead, Conner was pushed out of the garage.

Conner's boyfriend assured her the woman would be released, said the family friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

But Conner soon heard the sounds of a beating coming from the garage in the 11500 block of Marino Street just south of Paine Field. She later saw several of the men carry a large black bag into a red sport-utility vehicle, the family friend said.

According to the booking report, the girl in the garage had an injury on her left eye which appeared to be the result of some sort of blow.

Conner declined to speak to reporters outside her home yesterday. It was Conner's family friend who reported the incident to police Friday. It's unclear whether Conner called police.

Investigators met with the 17-year-old suspect Thursday. He initially told them he didn't know anything about Burkheimer's whereabouts, according to police.

Later that day, police served a search warrant at Conner's home. Her boyfriend was not there, but Conner spoke with detectives about what she saw in her garage a week earlier.

Friday, the teen was again questioned by detectives and changed his story, police said. He agreed to take a detective to a shallow gravesite off Reiter Road, east of Gold Bar.

The teen said that when he was with Burkheimer on Sept. 23, he received a phone call from Burkheimer's ex-boyfriend. The former boyfriend wanted to talk with Burkheimer, so they all agreed to meet at the duplex Conner shared with her boyfriend.

According to the 17-year-old's booking report, Burkheimer and the teen waited a few minutes for the former boyfriend to arrive. Once he showed up, the ex-boyfriend started yelling. He grabbed Burkheimer by the arm and forced her into the garage.

The teen told investigators that the former boyfriend came to get him minutes later. As the 17-year-old climbed behind the wheel of his sport-utility vehicle, he saw a bag shoved in the back and "thought there might be a body in the bag," according to the booking report. There also were other men in the vehicle.

He drove east on Highway 2 until the former boyfriend ordered him to drive down a small gravel road to Reiter Pit, a popular spot for off-road vehicles. He was told to stop his car, and the former boyfriend and the other men climbed out. The men took the bag into the woods, the documents said.

The teen told investigators he heard the former boyfriend say "get on your knees," and then heard several gunshots and saw muzzle flashes. When they returned to the SUV, the former boyfriend told the teen that if he talked about what happened he would also be killed.

Bill Burkheimer yesterday declined to talk in detail about the men accused of killing his daughter.

The 20-year-old in custody has been in and out of court since he was a child. In 2000, he pleaded guilty to firearm possession. His juvenile criminal record includes theft, robbery, burglary and possession of stolen property.

The 18-year-old has been arrested for burglary and possession of a stolen firearm.

The 17-year-old was convicted in 2001 of burglary, theft and vehicle prowling.

Barth, who has a criminal history involving more than five convictions, was supposed to appear in court yesterday on an unrelated forgery charge. He didn't show up, but his mother was at the courthouse to talk to detectives in connection with the Burkheimer case.

"He knows something of what's going on here, and he needs to come forward and say what he knows," said his mother, Bonnie Burris.

Burris, who lives next door to the home where Burkheimer was reported tied up in the garage, said she knows her son didn't go to the gravel pit where the body was left because he was home sleeping. But she doesn't know if he saw Burkheimer in the garage.

Rachel Burkheimer, a 2002 graduate of Marysville-Pilchuck High School, wanted to become a medical technician. She was taking a few months off after quitting her hostessing job at Jimmy's Pizza & Pasta in Stanwood before heading back to school.

The 4-foot-11 blond loved clothes, talking on her cellphone and playing with her 1-year-old niece, Jaida. Burkheimer attended church with her mother, Denise Webber, at Calvary Chapel in Marysville.

Bill Burkheimer said he hopes to hold his daughter's funeral in Marysville on Saturday. He's not sure where it will be.

"I just pray from her life someone can say I should be more careful with who I associate with," Burkheimer said. "She was this beautiful woman; there's no reason this should have happened."

Seattle Times staff reporter Janet Burkitt and news researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report. Jennifer Sullivan: 425-745-7801 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com.