Man arrested in bloody Bitter Lake slaying

SEATTLE — Seattle police have arrested a man suspected of murdering a Navy veteran at a Bitter Lake assisted living facility last year.

Police said Francis Patrick Fleming, 70, was tortured and his throat was cut so severely that he was nearly decapitated following a robbery on Dec. 8.

After Fleming was found slain in his apartment, detectives learned that Fleming's extensive collection of rare coins was missing.

Investigators said DNA evidence found inside Fleming's bloody, ransacked apartment in December led police to a 51-year-old suspect, Charles Jungbluth, who was arrested by Snohomish County Sheriff's deputies Thursday afternoon at the request of Seattle police homicide detectives.

According to a police report, Jungbluth initially told investigators he didn't know Fleming, but after his arrest and questioning by detectives, he admitted he plunged a knife into Fleming's neck.

Jungbluth's Friday court appearance lasted just 1 minute and 3 seconds, but the allegations against him could send him to jail for life. His bail has been set at $1 million.

Prosecutors have till Tuesday to file charges, which will most likely be first-degree murder.

KIRO