Kirkland slaying suspect reportedly woke up from blackout in victims' house

The man being held in the stabbing deaths of two women and two children in Kirkland on Monday reportedly woke up from a drunken blackout inside the home of the victims to find himself covered in blood, according to court documents filed today in King County Superior Court.

The man, Conner Schierman, 24, is accused of dousing the house with gasoline and setting it on fire to conceal the killings, according to the documents.

A law-enforcement source familiar with the evidence said Schierman took a shower in the victims' home to wash off the blood and discarded his bloody clothing. He then allegedly stole an outfit from the victims' house before setting it afire.

Schierman appeared today before District Judge D. Mark Eide, who set bail at $4 million. Charges of aggravated murder and arson are expected to be filed Monday, King County Deputy Prosecutor Scott O'Toole said.

The prosecutor said he asked for high bail because he thinks Schierman poses a threat to the community. The man lived across the street from the victims.

Schierman appeared in court wearing a white T-shirt printed with the words "ultra security inmate." A deep scratch was apparent on the left side of his face.

When police contacted Schierman, they found he had several "defensive-type" wounds on his face and neck, and a puncture wound on his left forearm.

Authorities don't know if Schierman had any relationship to the victims.

Two women identified a man who matched Schierman's appearance as being in the neighborhood near the time of the fire, according to the law-enforcement source, who asked not to be identified. They both said the man had a "scar" on his cheek –– which matches a scratch on Schierman –– and both identified a "very distinctive" tattoo on the man's left bicep.

Kirkland police Capt. Eric Olsen opened a news conference Wednesday with the news that the four family members had been stabbed several times in the neck before the fire was set.

The women's bodies were found in an upstairs bedroom and the children's bodies in an adjacent hallway. None had been bound, according to the law-enforcement source.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the identities of the victims as Olga Milkin, 28; her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24; and Justin Milkin, 5, and Andrew Milkin, 3, sons of Olga Milkin.

Olga Milkin's husband, Sgt. Leonid Milkin of the Army National Guard, returned from duty in Iraq to his burned-out home late this morning.

Wearing Army fatigues, Milkin was brought in a black SUV to the home. Officers gave him a brief tour of the house. He spent a few moments at a memorial for his wife, children and sister-in-law before leaving without speaking to reporters.

Vita Petrus, 27, a sister of victims Olga Milkin and Botvina, said Olga had been excited about her husband's scheduled homecoming from Iraq in about a month and a half.

Petrus' husband, John, said Leonid Milkin "has been very strong through all of this. He is probably holding up better than we are."

The law-enforcement source said Schierman had moved into the neighborhood two to four weeks ago. Neighbors said they believed another man also lived in the apartment with Schierman. The men kept to themselves and were described as unreceptive when neighbors tried to introduce themselves.

Residents of a rehabilitation house for recovering alcohol and drug abusers on the Eastside said Wednesday that Schierman had lived at the rehabilitation home, but it was unclear when he stayed there. The residents declined to be identified.

Schierman was "very passionate," said one resident, who added that Schierman made it clear when he was upset or happy. But he also was a "very proper, a well-mannered, intelligent guy." A woman who described herself as a longtime friend said she had visited Schierman at his new home Saturday. He was in good spirits, she said.

Schierman has worked at the Carillon Point business and hotel complex in Kirkland for about a year and a half, said staff members there.

They first learned that he was a suspect when police came to the complex of shops, offices, restaurants and a hotel Wednesday afternoon.

"The police came yesterday looking for him," said Barb Leland, the general manager for the complex.

"We never had any problems with him," she said, explaining that Schierman did general maintenance, such as changing light bulbs and making repairs. He was most recently at work last week, she added.

"As far as we know, he was a good kid," she said. "We're as shocked as anyone. We'll have to see what happens. The police will figure it out."

Investigators and family members had been puzzled by the circumstances of the deaths because the fire had started in midday, there was no 911 call from the home and no one had escaped from the house.

Investigators from several agencies were summoned to help with the probe, including the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the State Patrol.

Kelvin Crenshaw, the special agent in charge of the Seattle ATF office, said investigators determined the fire had been set intentionally.

"Some type of accelerant was used," he said. "There were multiple points of origin."

The fire Monday was called in at 11:32 a.m. The four bodies were found about four hours later in the house in the 9500 block of Slater Avenue Northeast, a few hundred feet east of Interstate 405. The King County Medical Examiner's Office said none of the deaths was related to smoke or fire injuries.

Olsen, the Kirkland police captain, and other officials declined to provide details of the investigation, such as whether a weapon had been recovered.

Yellow police tape was put up around a gray duplex across the street from the burned house Wednesday afternoon. Officers were seen removing a screen from one of the duplex units and going inside.

Throughout the day Wednesday, overalls-clad investigators could be seen removing debris from the home, often putting piles of insulation and other materials in a screened sifter, rocking the debris back and forth, and then removing items sifted from the materials.

Pavel Milkin, Leonid Milkin's father, was surrounded by family and friends at his Mill Creek home Wednesday. He said he doesn't know why somebody would want to hurt his family members.

Schierman was arrested in the Rose Hill area "in the general vicinity" of the burned house, Olsen said.

The landlord for the duplexes, who declined to be identified and who has owned the building about four years, confirmed that a new tenant had moved in recently.

"This is a bit of a shock," the landlord said.

Luba Schastlivets and her 9-year-old son, Paul, came by the scene Wednesday to pay their respects. Schastlivets knew the family, and her son had played with the Milkin boys.

"They were just for each other," Schastlivets said of Olga and Leonid Milkin. "They were a very special couple."

Olga Milkin was a "really strong woman," especially given that her husband was in Iraq, Schastlivets said. "She never gave up. She never got sad. She was always smiling."

Olga's sons "were really smart," said their playmate, Paul Schastlivets. "They always looked like they were laughing."

Police are continuing to look for information about the deaths and a telephone tip line has been set up at 425-587-3515.

A memorial fund has been set by the family at US Bank under the name "Kirkland House Fire Victims." Also, the Washington National Guard set up a financial assistance fund in Leonid Milkin's name at the American Lake Credit Union in Camp Murray. The account number is 13743.

Pavel Milkin said his family is planning a service, likely on Sunday, but the exact time and location haven't been determined.

Seattle Times reporters Brian Alexander, Christine Clarridge, Michael Berens, Susan Kelleher and Rachel Tuinstra contributed to this report.

Peyton Whitely: 206-464-2259 or pwhitely@seattletimes.com

Mike Carter: 206-464-3706 or mcarter@seattletimes.com