Who Killed Woman Found Inside Suitcase at Homeless Camp? Police Just Charged a Suspect

Authorities in Washington State have charged a suspect with murdering a woman and on suspicion of stuffing her body in a suitcase at a homeless encampment last month.  

Shannon Reeder’s body was found inside a suitcase by police clearing a homeless encampment at a junction in Seattle on Sept. 27, Washington State Patrol said in a press release earlier this month. 

The 37-year-old disappeared last November, per police, and at the time was living in the area where her body was discovered. 

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, 57-year-old Steven Thanh Nguyen was charged with murder in connection with Reeder’s killing, according to the Washington State Patrol, King County prosecutors and charging documents cited by FOX 13, The Seattle Times and KOMO News, respectively.

Prosecutors allege in charging documents that Nguyen had hit Reeder with an ax or machete, per KOMO News and The Seattle Times. An autopsy report concluded that the wounds on Reeder appeared to be from such tools, per FOX 13.  

“The defendant appears to have murdered the victim with an axe (sic) or other sharp object, stashed her body inside a suitcase for weeks, and abandoned the victim’s remains to be bulldozed by a cleaning crew,” prosecutors allege in charging documents, per KOMO News. 

Nguyen, who police say lived at the camp, was reportedly known to walk around with those tools, investigators learned, per KOMO News and The Seattle Times.

A witness told police that about a month ago, they discovered a foul odor from the structure where Nguyen lived, per an arrest report cited by KOMO News. The witness was there to exchange drugs with Nguyen, which the witness told police was common for Nguyen, per the outlet.

On Oct. 3, Seattle police arrested Nguyen, per KOMO News. 

He allegedly told police that he built the structure — where the suitcase with Reeder’s body was found — about a year ago from scratch, KOMO News and The Seattle Times reported, citing charging papers. 

Nguyen allegedly told police he knew the victim, per charging papers cited by KOMO News and The Seattle Times, and that Reeder was in his tent on the day of her death. He allegedly said the two were smoking together and she overdosed on fentanyl, per authorities.

Prior to the overdosing, she fell on rocks, which is how she got her bruises, Nguyen allegedly said, per the charging reports, both outlets reported.

He allegedly said that he got scared after she overdosed and did not want to notify police, so he wrapped her body in plastic and stuffed her in a suitcase, which he then put inside a wooden podium that held up his bed, according to the charging report cited by KOMO News and The Seattle Times.

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Nguyen is set to be arraigned on Oct. 30, per all three outlets. Attorney and plea information were not immediately available.