Category Archives: Tacoma Crime

19th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Job Anthony William Irving

Posted on February 13, 2023 | Leave a comment

It was around midnight on August 26th, 2021 when 30-year-old Job Anthony William Irving and a friend arrived at the Shell gas station on South 15th and Sprague. Shortly afterwards both Job and his friend were both shot. His friend survived his wounds, but Job died on the scene and became Tacoma’s 19th homicide of 2021.

Job spent most of his life in Sacramento, California where his family moved when he was a child. Shortly after graduating high school he joined the Army Reserves. In January of 2020 he reenlisted becoming an active duty soldier and training as a nurse. His training complete, he was statins at Joint Base Lewis McChord in March of 2021. Only five months later he lost his life.

Job had a great sense of humor, an infectious laugh and was known for his big bear hugs. He clearly wanted to serve his country and help people. He lived a life that mattered. He is missed.

As always the comment section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Job and want to share thoughts or memories of him.

– Jack Cameron

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18th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Dalvon Eugene Edwards Shinhoster

Posted on February 6, 2023 | Leave a comment

I can tell you that Dalvon Eugene Edwards-Shinhoster loved basketball. He played it on the weekends and whenever he could get a chance. He was 39 years old. He graduated from Foss High School, class of 2000. He was the sort of guy who was always willing to take the time to help out those in need. He was a father, a brother, an uncle, and a good friend.

What I can’t tell you is what happened to Dalvon on the morning of August 16, 2021. He was found unresponsive in an apartment parking lot in the TK block of TK at around 9:00am. First responders were called, but he was dead on the scene. His death has been ruled a homicide, but as of this writing over nine months later, police have not released Dalvon’s cause of death, any known circumstances leading up to his death, or any description of a suspect. I cannot tell you how Dalvon became the 18th Tacoma homicide of 2021. I can just tell you that he is missed by those who knew him.

As always the comment section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Dalvon and want to share thoughts or memories of him.

-Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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17th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Aaron Gentry Mathiason

Posted on January 30, 2023 | Leave a comment

On the evening of August 8, 2021, 46-year-old Aaron Gentry Mathiason was riding his bicycle along Pacific Avenue near South 72nd Street. A 53-year-old man who claimed Aaron had sold him bad drugs spotted him shortly before 10:00pm. The man returned to his apartment to pick up a switchblade knife. The man returned to Pacific Avenue and caught up with Aaron in a parking lot of a grocery store. The two argued. Aaron got off his bike. The man stabbed him in the chest. Video surveillance shows the man running away. Aaron was taken to a local hospital where he died during surgery. The man who stabbed him was arrested and charged with second degree murder.  Aaron is the 17th Tacoma homicide of 2021.

All too often homicides like these are ignored by most people. It’s all too easy to see it as just another drug murder and move on. But this ignores the population impacted by Aaron’s death. His family. His friends. His loved ones. The people who remember his laugh and will never hear it again. The fact that drugs may have been involved in his death do nothing to eliminate the hurt or lessen the results of his life being stolen from him.

As always the comment section is reserved for those who knew Aaron who want to share thoughts and memories of him.

– Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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16th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Bud Morgan

Posted on January 23, 2023 | 1 comment

In the early morning hours of July 24, 2021 Bud Morgan was in Wright Park. The 32-year-old had left his home finding the walls too confining and wanting desperately to get out, get away, just go. In recent years, Bud had started taking methamphetamines. It wasn’t something he was proud of and he preferred to deal with the addiction on his own. This particular night he ran into two young men. One of them had a gun. There was yelling. One man told the other to shoot. The gunshots woke up nearby neighbors, but it would not be until a couple hours later when a passerby found Bud’s body. Bud Morgan is the sixteenth Tacoma homicide of 2021.

The two men responsible for Bud’s death were caught a few weeks later using surveillance camera footage and images from social media.

Bud was a generous guy. He enjoyed helping people. It wouldn’t be uncommon for him to drop everything and do what he could to help someone in need. It’s easy for some to think that a drug addiction invalidates a person’s humanity, but the truth of it is, that those who turn to drugs are often the ones who care the most, who love the most, and who hurt the most. A person does not escape into drugs unless they have a feeling they want to escape from.

Bud’s death, like that of the woman killed hours earlier, was senseless and done with a callous disregard for the impact a death has on the families and friends of the victims.

As always the comments section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Bud and want to share thoughts or memories of him.

– Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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15th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Heather Lee Tucker

Posted on January 16, 2023 | Leave a comment

Shortly before 1:30am on July 24th, 2021, 36-year-old Heather Lee Tucker suddenly crossed the street near the 900 block of North Pearl Street after seeing a man ahead of her. She knew trouble when she saw it. What she didn’t know was that another man was trying to flank her. What exactly happened next is unclear, but moments later there were gunshots and the two men can be seen on surveillance cameras running away. Heather was shot multiple times and became Tacoma’s 15th Tacoma homicide victim of 2021.

An hour and a half later the two men shot and killed another person in Wright Park. Police were able to identify the suspects through surveillance cameras and social media posts and arrested them a few weeks after the crimes. No motive for the crimes is known at this time.

Heather was a talented singer and well loved by her family. She was the sort of person you looked forward to seeing around the holidays. She had that way about her that made whatever room she was in a bit warmer. She is someone who is missed.

As always the comments section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Heather to share thoughts or memories of her.

-Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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14th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Denise Smith

Posted on January 9, 2023 | Leave a comment

Denise Smith was working her fifth shift at her new job as a security guard at a building in the 900 block of A Street. In the early morning hours of July 18, 2021, she was watching camera monitors from the lobby when she saw a homeless woman washing herself in the fountain in front of the building. The 41-year-old security guard walked outside to talk to the woman and then returned to the lobby.

Moments later a 26-year-old 6’5” drunk male soldier approached the front door of the building. He had recently lost a bar fight. Denise motioned for him to leave. He didn’t. When she opened the door, the man immediately began beating her. During the next ten minutes Denise fought back, tried to escape, and did everything she could to survive, but her attacker was relentless, dragging her around, stabbing her with her keys, and beating her again and again.

Denise was found just after 6:00am when the security guard arriving for the next shift arrived. Denise was pronounced dead on the scene becoming Tacoma’s 14th Tacoma homicide.

The perpetrator of this crime had no motive, claims not to remember the attack, and has been charged with first degree murder.

Denise is described by family as being a sweet person who largely kept to herself.

As always the comments section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Denise and want to share any thoughts or memories of her.

– Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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13th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Leroy Nevarro

Posted on January 2, 2023 | Leave a comment

In the early morning hours of July 18, 2021 neighbors in the 5600 block of Pacific Avenue heard gunshots. Police arrived around 3:00am to find 39-year-old Leroy Navarro shot in the torso. Leroy was transferred to an area hospital where he later died of his wound becoming the thirteenth Tacoma homicide this year.

Despite this homicide occurring almost a year and a half ago, detectives have released little other information and have announced no leads on this case.

I was unable to find much online about Leroy. These sorts of homicides are haunting. They get little mention in the press and are quickly forgotten by everyone but those who knew the victim, those investigating the case, and the person responsible for the crime. It’s all too easy to just see it as another shooting while ignoring the fact that every death is like a meteor strike to every life the victim touched.

As always the comments section is reserved for those who knew Leroy and want to share their thoughts and memories of him.

If you knew Leroy and have a photo you’d like to share for this article, please email me at jackcameronis@gmail.com.

– Jack Cameron

TacomaStories is always free. If you’d like to support our work, you can donate at this link. Thank you.

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12th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Victor Martin Lee Davis

Posted on September 19, 2022 | Leave a comment

Just before 5pm on July 8, 2021, Victor Martin Lee Davis was leaving a friend’s apartment in the 700 block of Commerce Street. The 44-year-old was going to get some food when a 32-year-old acquaintance saw and recognized him and asked where his money was at. The acquaintance had loaned Victor $500 for a scooter weeks earlier. The two got into an argument that soon turned into a physical altercation in which the 32-year-old stabbed him in the side. The 32-year-old then ran to a friend’s place and asked him to hide the knife.

Passersby tried to assist Victor and first responders were called. Victor was transported to the hospital where he later died becoming the 12th Tacoma homicide of 2021.

As is often the case with individuals with common names or a low online presence, I was unable to find much information on Victor. This is why the comments section is moderated and reserved for family and friends who want to share thoughts and memories of him.

If you knew Victor and have a photo of Victor you’d like me to include in this article, please email me at jackcameronis@gmail.com.

– Jack

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11th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: Milton Slaughter

Posted on September 17, 2022 | Leave a comment

There was a party in the 7600 block of South Tacoma Way on Saturday, May 8, 2021. Thirty-two-year-old Milton Slaughter was among the partygoers. Around 3:30am gunshots were heard shortly after a group of bikers arrived. First responders arrived a few minutes later and found a thirty-year-old man and Milton Slaughter dead at the scene. Milton Slaughter is the eleventh Tacoma homicide of 2021.

Despite occurring over a year ago, there remains little information about the incident and no one has been arrested for the crime.

Milton was from Richmond, Virginia originally. His friends called him ‘Boo’. I wasn’t able to find out a lot of information about him. What I can say is that like any homicide, the loss creates a hole in the lives of those who knew and loved him. Grief isn’t something that goes away. It’s something people get used to.

As always, the comment section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Milton and want to share information, thoughts, and memories of him.

– Jack

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10th Tacoma Homicide of 2021: William Dealavone Jones

Posted on September 16, 2022 | Leave a comment

There was a party in the 7600 block of South Tacoma Way on Saturday, May 8, 2021. Thirty-year-old William Dealavone Jones was among the partygoers. Around 3:30am on Sunday morning a group of bikers arrived at the party. Shortly after there were gunshots in the parking lot. By the time paramedics arrived, William Dealavone Jones was one of two people dead from gunshot wounds becoming the tenth Tacoma homicide of 2021.

Unfortunately, despite writing this only a year after the incident, there is very little information about these homicides and no one has been arrested for the crimes.

One of the difficulties of writing about homicides when violent crime has dramatically increased is that media reporting of individual incidents are less detailed and sometimes nonexistent.

I was unable to find any real information about William. In cases like this I rely on friends and family of the victim to post memories or thoughts about the victim in the comment section.

If someone has a photo of William you’d like to include in this article please email me at jackcameronis@gmail.com.

– Jack

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