Body Linked To Bachmeier Murder Case -- But Ex-County Officer No Longer Faces Death Penalty In August Slaying

Human remains found on Cougar Mountain have been identified as those of James Bradley Wren, a Preston man prosecutors say was killed last summer by a King County Police sergeant.

Sgt. Mathias Bachmeier, 49, a 25-year police veteran, was accused in November of aggravated first-degree murder in Wren's death, which prosecutors allege was spurred by an arson-for-insurance scheme.

A major issue in the case, however, was that Wren's body hadn't been found. In January, King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng described the inability to find Wren's body as one of the chief reasons his office had decided not to seek the death penalty against Bachmeier.

Dan Donohoe, of the King County Prosecutor's Office, says it's too late to seek the death penalty against Bachmeier because prosecutors have only 30 days after arraignment to request the charge.

"Once that decision is made," he said, "it's impossible to go back and revisit it."

If convicted of aggravated first-degree murder, Bachmeier would be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Bachmeier, who has pleaded not guilty, is in the King County Jail in an area that ensures his safety.

Wren's remains were found in Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, near Issaquah, about 12:50 p.m. Sunday by hikers who reported seeing bones just off a trail about a mile from the main entrance.

The identification of his remains was announced by the King County Medical Examiner's Office late yesterday afternoon. No cause of death was established, and more examination was to be done today, a spokeswoman said. Police said Wren's body showed signs of homicidal violence.

The discovery, however, does provide the answer to Wren's fate, a question that had perplexed investigators since the chain of circumstances that led to Bachmeier's charging last fall.

Wren, 35, who lived near Preston, 30 miles east of Seattle along Interstate 90, was last seen alive Aug. 10, sitting in the back seat of Bachmeier's patrol car.

Remains only a partial answer

Bachmeier had responded to a report of a dispute between Wren and his roommate. Several similar episodes had occurred previously.

Bachmeier announced on the police radio that he would handle the call himself. When he arrived at Wren's home, Bachmeier told neighbors he was going to take Wren to the county police substation in Fall City and take a statement from him. The neighbors saw Wren get into the back seat of the patrol car. It was the last time Wren was seen.

Wren's mother, Shirley, later reported him missing. A subsequent investigation led to Bachmeier's arrest.

For Shirley Wren, the discovery of her son's remains brought only a partial answer to lingering questions.

"My son's body was found, and I'm glad of that," said Wren, who lives in Malaga, Chelan County. "I just wish we could get the one who did it."

`Trail of deceit'

In charging Bachmeier with murder, prosecutors gave a complex version of events leading to Wren's death, with Maleng describing it as a "trail of deceit and deception."

Prosecutors accused Bachmeier of torching his Renton house to collect insurance money and then, when police began investigating him as the prime suspect, picking Wren at random as a scapegoat. Prosecutors allege Bachmeier forced Wren to sign a confession and then killed him to make it look as if he had disappeared.

Investigators said DNA tests on blood found in the back seat of Bachmeier's patrol car indicated it was Wren's.

Theresa Olson, the public defender representing Bachmeier, was surprised when told of the discovery of Wren's remains.

Olson said she'd suspected "something was up" because the prosecutor in the case, Jeff Baird, hadn't shown up for a court hearing yesterday morning to discuss routine pretrial matters.

Bachmeier is to go to trial April 14. But Olson said the discovery of the remains may change that date. "Other forensic and evidentiary issues could arise," she said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Dave Birkland contributed to this report.