"He Didn't Deserve This," Son of Murdered Woodinville Man Says

The son of Woodinville murder victim Earl Cossey addressed the media Thursday morning in an effort to generate tips on his father’s murder.

Wayland Cossey, 36, said he knew of no motive in the death of his father and called him a man of peace who had no enemies as far as he knew.

"He didn't deserve this," Cossey said. "Those who did this deserve to be brought to justice."

Wayland Cossey described his father as very well-liked and said he was retired from teaching and coaching after 25 years at Leota Jr. High. He said his father was fun and enjoyed board games, as well as parachuting and being a pilot.

He doesn't believe there is any connection between his father's murder and the mysterious story of DB Cooper, who hijacked a passenger jet from Portland, OR, to Seattle in 1971. Earl Cossey packed the parachutes used by Cooper, and Cooper's fate remains unknown.

New information on Cossey's murder case divulged today by King County Sheriff's Detective Jake Pavlovich included that Cossey's home, where he was found dead on April 26, had been "gone through."

The 71-year-old Cossey died April 23, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office, several days before he was found at his home in the 15000 block of N.E. 192nd Street. His cause of death was listed as blunt force trauma to the head.

A $1,000 reward is now being offered to the person who mailed Earl Cossey’s driver's license and credit cards to his house around the time of his death. Wayland Cossey told the media that after he learned of his father's death, he had his father's mail forwarded to his home. In the following days, Earl Cossey's driver's license and bank cards were sent in an anonymous envelope opened by his wife.

Pavlovich said he believes the cards were stolen during Cossey's murder and dropped somewhere later. At that point, he believes a good Samaritan found the items and mailed them back to Cossey.

The person who mailed the items back can remain anonymous, Pavlovich said and asked that the person call the King County Sheriff’s Office at (206) 296-3311. This line is open 24 hours a day. The person is also welcome to mail a handwritten note saying where the items were found to:

King County Sheriff's Office
Attn. Detective Jake Pavlovich
500 4th Ave. Ste. 200
Seattle, WA 98104

Additionally, a reward of  up to $2,500 is being offered for information leading to an arrest in this crime. In order to receive the reward you must call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Wayland Cossey said the family has been taking this a day at a time.

"We're hoping for closure," he said. "It's hard to deal with."

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