Homicide investigation near Auburn and Federal Way leads to arrest

Published 12:31 pm Wednesday, February 25, 2026

A man has been arrested following the death of his mother in the Auburn area.

According to the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO), at about 1:45 p.m. Feb. 24, in the 28700 block of 34th Avenue at an Auburn address in unincorporated King County — between Federal Way and Auburn, and near Thomas Jefferson High School — deputies responded to a welfare check. The KCSO reported that the office can confirm that its Major Crimes Unit was conducting an active homicide investigation, and on Feb. 25, officers arrested one person after being interviewed by detectives. The suspect is a 30-year-old man.

The deceased is a 61-year-old woman, Thuy Nu Thu Ton, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office decedents list.Ton’s cause of death was reported as multiple blunt force injuries, and her manner of death was a homicide.

According to King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) spokesperson Casey McNerthney, the suspect who officers arrested had a first appearance hearing, and prosecutors asked for $2 million bail, which the first appearance court granted after hearing from both sides.

At the first appearance, the court found probable cause for the suspect’s arrest. Now, prosecutors expect to receive a case referral from the sheriff’s office by Feb. 27, after which a charging decision can be made.

Details of the probable cause documents

According to documents, at about 1:50 p.m. Feb. 24 at 28710 34th Ave. S. in unincorporated King County, officers received a call reporting that someone was unresponsive. The caller reported that he found his roommate, Ton, on the ground in the condo wrapped in blankets, and that he thought she was possibly assaulted by her son, who is bipolar.

When sheriff’s office deputies entered the residence, they found Ton unresponsive with clear signs of injuries to her face. Ton’s eyes were swollen, and blood flowed from her nose. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but at 2:09 p.m., she was declared dead.

The caller reported that he rents a room to the suspect, and that Ton, the suspect’s mother, would often stay at the caller’s condo to cook, clean and do the suspect’s laundry. The caller stated that the suspect has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar 1 disorder, and he has a history of being violent when he does not take medication, according to documents.

The caller stated that the suspect stopped taking his medication five months prior, and his mental health has deteriorated ever since. He added that the suspect is prone to violence and had become increasingly hostile toward him and Ton. The caller stated that, because of the suspect’s increasing hostility, he was trying not to engage with the suspect unless he had to.

The caller reported that when he discovered Ton, he reached down, moved the blankets covering her and found her lying with her arms folded across her chest. The caller stated that Ton had obvious injuries to her face. He then got a neighbor to call 911 because he does not own a phone.

According to documents, deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect multiple times, but were unsuccessful. At 3:35 p.m., officers then made entry into the condo, found him in a bedroom, then took him into custody. Officers then took the suspect to SeaTac City Hall for an interview.

When a detective asked what occurred that day, the suspect stated that he killed his mother after he and his mother got into an argument about finances and school. The suspect said that he killed his mother for nothing. However, he then blamed the attack on a demon from the television that was possessing him to kill his mother, but he also stated that the demon had actually possessed his mother, not him.

Documents state that the suspect then expressed rage and anger toward his mother, which seemed to stem from his mother taking money from him.

The suspect stated that the day of the killing, at 11 a.m., he grabbed Ton in a chokehold and threw her to the ground, and began “curb stomping” Ton’s neck. The suspect stated that he was very angry at his mother, and he likely killed her on the third stomp, but he continued stomping on her and “overkilled” her.

The suspect stated that after that assault, he tried to heal his mother by putting pillows and blankets on top of her. The suspect stated that his mother died about 30 minutes later, and then he gave her a hug. The suspect stated that he did not call the police because he thought that his roommate would call when he eventually came home.

Documents state that the suspect said he removed his clothes, washed them and then put them on again before lying in bed. He stated that there was blood on the sleeve of his shirt, but the blood washed out.

According to documents, during the interview, the suspect made numerous incoherent and nonsensical statements about demon possession, being one with starlight and artificial intelligence. At the end of the interview, the suspect expressed hatred of his mother, and he said that a percentage of his statements were untrue, except for the portion of his statement about killing his mother.