Your guide to the latest news from around the Northwest
January 9, 2013 at 3:44 PM
Sex predator charged with 1980 murder of Bellevue woman
Bellevue police on Wednesday announced a 56-year-old sexual predator who is behind bars on McNeil Island has been charged with an unsolved rape and murder from 1980.
Susan Barbara Lowe was 19 when she was strangled to death with pantyhose in the bedroom of her apartment. Michael Allan Halgren, 56, was recently linked to the cold case through DNA, according to Bellevue police.
Halgren is a sexually violent predator who has been held under civil commitment at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island since 2002. He had previously been convicted of the 1989 rape and kidnapping of a woman in Bellevue and other sex crimes in Seattle, police said.
Halgren was charged today with first-degree murder. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate said the case took so long to solve because DNA testing of civilly committed predators had not been performed until recently.
This post will be updated.
Comments | More in The Blotter | Topics: Bellevue Police, first-degree murder, King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office
More from The Blotter
- May 17 - 10:16 PM Fire hose used to bring felon down from tree in Snohomish County
- May 17 - 4:21 PM Everett standoff finally over after eight hours; burglary suspect arrested
- May 17 - 4:18 PM Seattle police to expand crime forecasting project
- May 17 - 3:12 PM Deputies arrest fleeing felon Vincent Nutter in the woods
- May 17 - 2:41 PM 1 in custody following stabbing near Pike Place Market
About The Today File
Seattle Times Needle cam
Trending with readers
On Facebook
Recent Activity
Multimedia
Google+
