Man who murdered his family in Snoqualmie killed in prison

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Washington State Department of Corrections officials say a man who had formerly been on death row for murdering his family members in 1999 was killed at the Washington State Penitentiary on Sunday.

Dayva Cross, who had been sentenced to death in King County, was pronounced dead at about 1:15 p.m. He was 62.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reported he was found in a shower. Prison officials said the cause of his death was under investigation.

The Walla Walla County Coroner’s office said his death is being considered a homicide. Officials say a suspect has been identified and moved to “appropriate housing” during the investigation.

Cross murdered his wife and two stepdaughters in Snoqualmie, the Union-Bulletin said.

Though Cross was sentenced to death, his sentence was later converted to life in prison when Washington’s Supreme Court ruled that the state’s use of capital punishment was unconstitutional in 2018.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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