This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
The Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force (MMIWP) has made its first arrest.
Port Angeles police took a 55-year-old woman into custody in connection with the 2016 homicide of George David, the Port Angeles Police Department reported via Facebook Tuesday.
David, 65, was a “respected master woodcarver” from Port Alberni, British Columbia, and was living in Neah Bay at the time of his death in March 2016, the department stated. He was found dead in a Port Angeles apartment, where he had been staying temporarily before planning to visit family in British Columbia and attend a funeral.
The 55-year-old woman was initially identified as a primary suspect and was arrested in April 2016 in Mount Vernon on an outstanding warrant from Arkansas. She is from Arkansas but has ties to Clallam County, police explained.
The woman was taken to Clallam County Jail but was later extradited to Arkansas and incarcerated for violating the conditions of her probation on an unrelated felony conviction for theft.
Port Angeles police reopen cold case with MMIWP
However, in 2024, the Port Angeles Police Department reopened the case in partnership with the MMIWP.
“The task force provided critical support in advancing the investigation, offering culturally informed resources and victim advocacy in this matter of deep importance to Native and cross-border communities,” the department wrote.
The woman has been transported to the Clallam County Jail after coordination with officials in Arkansas. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office will be filing criminal charges in this case, police noted.
“This case has never been forgotten,” Port Angeles Police Chief Brian S. Smith stated, via the release. “The renewed investigation, bolstered by our partnership with the MMIWP Task Force, reflects our commitment to justice and to honoring George David’s memory.”
The woman remains in custody on $1 million bail, with her arraignment scheduled for June 20.
Anyone with information related to the case is asked to call the Port Angeles Police Department at 360-452-4545 extension 1.
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