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2 men sentenced for brutal 2018 murder of woman on federal land near Spanaway

Two men were sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday for their roles in a brutal 2018 murder of a 34-year-old woman on federal land near Spanaway, U.S. Attorney Nick Brown announced.

53-year-old Bobbie Anson Pease was sentenced to 26 years in prison for second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, while 34-year-old Jeremy Jay Warren of Forks was sentenced to nearly 22 years for his role in the murder.

According to court records, Pease, Warren, the victim and her daughter were all sharing a house with others in August and September 2018.

The victim asked the two men for a ride to the store, and after going there and allowing her to buy groceries, Pease drove Warren and the victim to a nearby wooded area and said he wanted to do some target shooting.

The wooded area was an undeveloped plot of federal land outside the fenced boundaries of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. While there, Pease and Warren claim they confronted the victim about items they accused her of stealing, such as a drug pipe and a pocket knife.

The investigation did not confirm that the victim ever stole the items.

Court records say the two men beat the woman with a metal baseball bat, causing significant head injuries and broken bones.

Pease then took out a pistol and shot the woman three times in the head.

The men left her body in the wooded area and left the bat and gun in different locations in the Tacoma and Spanaway areas. The gun was eventually found in the Puyallup River.

Court records also say the two men made phone calls to police during the investigation to try and mislead them, claiming the victim left the convenience store with someone else and moved out of state.

On Sept. 13, 2018, the victim’s body was found by railroad workers. Pease and Warren were arrested the following month after fleeing to Forks.

“These two men violently took the life of a young woman – a single parent – who had trusted them to provide a ride and assistance,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Instead, they viciously beat her with a metal baseball bat and shot her in the head. In order to protect our community from this wanton and senseless depravity, these lengthy sentences are appropriate.”

Pease’s criminal history in Washington dates back to the early ‘90s and includes burglary in Pierce County in 1992, car theft in Thurston County in 1999, robbery with a deadly weapon enhancement in Pierce County in 2003, and assault and attempting to elude in Pierce County in 2013, among other convictions.

“This case is truly horrific and demonstrates the subjects’ utter lack of regard for human life,” said Richard A. Collodi, special agent in charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “So many elements of this case are senseless and tragic: luring the victim into the woods under the pretense of friendship, attacking a defenseless person with multiple types of weapons, and then covering up the murder and fleeing. Addressing violent crime remains a top priority of the FBI.”