A man accused of murder in Oregon remains locked up in Skagit County. Tyler Essex is accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death on August 19. Authorities later arrested the fugitive at a Sedro-Woolley restaurant.
Essex appeared before a judge Monday.
Essex is accused of murdering 44-year-old Yuvonne Allison, who was found stabbed to death at a home in Eugene, Oregon.
Later that day, Essex, armed with a shotgun, walked into a pizza parlor in Sedro-Woolley, where he was tracked down and arrested.
“Honestly, for two days I was numb. This shouldn’t happen to somebody like her; she didn’t deserve this,” said Mike Bellmer, Allison’s father.
Bellmer told KIRO 7 his daughter met Essex online and they were together for about a year and a half.
He says they briefly lived in Sedro-Woolley before moving to Eugene to help run a marijuana dispensary.
“She was happy with things, seemed to be going along. That’s why it’s so shocking because something happened and I do not know if she had something on him. Rumor was that she was getting ready to leave him. Maybe he wasn’t gonna have that, you know, because it all just blew up,” said Bellmer.
According to court documents, on the day of the killing, Essex visited friends in Sedro-Woolley and made a confession.
Later, he went to Cascade Pizza, where he ate food and made 911 calls, identifying himself.
Police surrounded the restaurant and arrested Essex as he climbed out the back. Investigators say Essex had blood on his clothing at the time.
“We want justice. This is wrong; you can’t do this to somebody,” said Bellmer.
A GoFundMe is now set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
Meanwhile, Essex is held without bail.
Prosecutors say he is choosing not to waive the extradition process. That means Oregon’s governor will have to sign off on a governor’s warrant.
Then Governor Ferguson would sign off, and Essex will be transported back to Oregon.
A status hearing on that warrant is set for September 17.