King County Officer Arrested In Slaying -- Victim May Have Seen Arson At County Policeman's Home

A King County Police sergeant is a suspect in the killing of a man who may have witnessed an arson at the officer's home this summer.

The officer, Mathias Bachmeier, 49, of Renton, is in the King County Jail in connection with the slaying of James Wren, 35, of Preston. Wren has not been seen since Aug. 10. Police have said that on the day Wren disappeared, he was interviewed by Bachmeier, a 25-year veteran of the department.

King County Sheriff Jim Montgomery said yesterday there was enough evidence to warrant the arrest of Bachmeier.

Murder charges are expected to be filed soon against Bachmeier, who was arrested yesterday at his Renton home.

Wren is believed to be a witness to a July 9 arson that destroyed Bachmeier's home on Garden Avenue North in Renton. Earlier this month, authorities said Bachmeier was under investigation in connection with the fire and the disappearance of a witness.

Wren is described as white, 5 feet 6 inches tall, about 200 pounds, with short blond hair and blue eyes.

It was Wren's mother, Shirley, of Wenatchee, who brought her son's disappearance to the attention of King County Police.

According to his mother, James Wren was last seen by friends and neighbors getting into the back seat of a King County Police patrol car on Aug. 10 outside Wren's Preston residence. His mother said today she does not know why her son was talking to the officer in the car.

When she had not heard from her son a week after he had left with the police officer, she called the King County Police Department to report her son missing.

Bachmeier told investigators looking into Wren's disappearance that Wren accompanied him to the county police substation at Fall City on Aug. 10 after Wren was involved in a dispute with his roommate. After giving a statement, Wren left the substation alone, Bachmeier told detectives.

Police said Wren sustained a gunshot wound to a leg several weeks before his disappearance and was using crutches. He had suffered a brain injury in an automobile accident and appeared to be somewhat mentally impaired.

King County Police Capt. Dan Richmond said investigators have been monitoring Wren's telephone, bank accounts and credit cards, but found no activity. Wren receives a check from the Department of Veterans Affairs every month, but that money has not been touched.

Detectives have searched nationwide for Wren and have come up with nothing, Richmond said.

Attorney John Wolfe, who is representing Bachmeier, said last night the arrest was based on probable cause. Wolfe said he had no details of any connection his client has to Wren's disappearance. He declined further comment.

Bachmeier, who has been on paid administrative leave since Sept. 11, will continue to be paid while he is in jail, pending the results of an internal investigation, Montgomery said.

Bachmeier is being held in the King County Jail's psychiatric unit, said jail Director Art Wallenstein. Some prisoners in that unit are frequently monitored by jail staff, but Wallenstein would not say whether Bachmeier was under such monitoring.

Montgomery said Bachmeier has not made a statement to investigators. Montgomery declined to discuss or identify the source of information that led to the arrest despite the lack of a body. He also declined to disclose why detectives believe Wren is dead.

But forensic evidence has been found that convinced King County detectives that Bachmeier was linked to Wren's disappearance, Montgomery said. He said King County prosecutors were involved in the investigation and concurred with the decision to arrest the sergeant.

One piece of evidence is blood found in Bachmeier's patrol car, a source said.

Montgomery said police have no reason to believe any current or former officers were aware of alleged criminal activities by Bachmeier. More details of the case are expected to be released when Bachmeier is charged.

"This is a highly unusual case and has taken a circuitous route," Montgomery said.

While investigating the fire at Bachmeier's home, Renton Fire Department investigators found the name "Rios" spray-painted on a rear wall. Detectives questioned whether it referred to Guadalupe Rios, 32, who was fatally shot by Bachmeier in February 1988.

Bachmeier said he had shot Rios after Rios fired a .22-caliber rifle at his patrol car. Bachmeier had been patrolling an area south of Renton when he found Rios standing near the gas pumps of a service station.

An inquest jury voted 5-1 to clear Bachmeier in Rios' death. But attorneys for Rios' mother filed for a new inquest, based on affidavits from witnesses who said Rios was not armed with a rifle when they saw him shortly before his death.

King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng denied the request, saying the witnesses could not be found. Maleng declined to file criminal charges against Bachmeier, who he said "had reasonable grounds to believe that he was in imminent danger of grave personal injury or death."

An outside agency will be asked to reopen the Rios investigation. It's unclear whether this has anything to do with Bachmeier's arrest or Wren's disappearance.

The announcement of the arrest closely follows other criminal cases involving King County law-enforcement and corrections officers:

-- A King County Jail guard was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of selling confidential police information and delivering cocaine. The 37-year-old guard allegedly sold confidential information from police files and criminal-history files to an undercover FBI agent.

-- On Friday, King County Police Officer William Erdt, 48, assigned to the Vashon Island precinct, was charged with molesting and exploiting a 16-year-old girl.

"This is not the kind of announcement any sheriff or chief of police likes to make," Montgomery said of Bachmeier's arrest. "I expect police officers to be above committing crimes. This is one of those difficult situations."

Information from Seattle Times East bureau reporter Louis T. Corsaletti and staff reporter Lily Eng is included in this report.