Investigators continue work on 2008 bomb murders
Walker was killed by bomb disguised as a fishing boat-motor battery charger. The cat litter on the floor was used to clean up his blood.
MOSES LAKE — Two years after bombs killed two Moses Lake men within 10 hours of each other, investigators continue searching for the suspect.
MOSES LAKE - Two years after bombs killed two Moses Lake men within 10 hours of each other, investigators continue searching for the suspect.
The Grant County Sheriff's Office recently revealed more information about the murders in hopes of generating new leads.
"It would be considered a cold case, but it's not forgotten," said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley. "Any tips, they follow them up the best they can."
Every month since the explosions, a detective opens the case file to take another look, check on new tips and waits to find the person responsible.
The initial investigation indicated two pipe bombs were used to kill William. A. Walker, 69, and Javier M. Adame, 53, in 2008.
Walker was a former electrical worker known for loving spending time with family, tinkering in his garage, hunting, his dog Oscar and his wife of 40 years, Dorothy. He died Aug. 2, 2008, in an explosion in his garage and was discovered by his grandson.
Ten hours later, on Aug. 3, 2008, a bomb on a kitchen counter killed Adame.
"He was so much fun, when he would play spoons. He played harmonica. He loved listening to music, barbecuing. Everything about him was life," his nephew Gabriel Adame told the Columbia Basin Herald in 2009.
The family held a march last year to help rally awareness of Javier's murder. They were frustrated by the lack of information about the crime.
The sheriff's office investigated both murders with help from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI and the Grant County Fire Marshal's Office.
The information provided to the public in 2008 has since changed.
Initially, the explosives were called pipe bombs and the sheriff's office investigated the possibility of Adame having bomb making materials in his home off of Stratford Road. Investigators no longer believe Adame had anything to do with the creation of the bombs.
They also investigated an unrelated pipe bomb used to destroy a 1985 Dodge Ram pickup in Soap Lake on July 23, 2008.
"The same person constructed both bombs," said Turley said of the murders. "They were sophisticated. They were not typical - get a match out and light it. They were meant to kill."
The bomb killing Adame was hidden in a police scanner radio, Turley said. The radio was brought inside by Adame's girlfriend after she found it in a box.
"He plugged it in and it blew up," said Turley.
The bomb killing Walker was disguised as a battery charger for a fishing boat motor, Turley said. Walker had several battery chargers in his shop and investigators believe the bomb was already in his garage when Walker came in.
"The way they were placed, the survival rate would be zero," Turley said.
Both bombs were described as "sophisticated" and "a type of smokeless powder was used."
The investigations were hampered by the explosions and the lack of connection between Walker and Adame.
"When a bomb goes off, it destroys a lot of evidence," said Turley. "We've done all we can do at this point, it's not just the sheriff's office, it's the ATF and the FBI."
More perplexing to investigators than the bomb construction is why both men were targeted. The victims did not know each other, according to the families.
"We can't make a nexus there at all," said Turley.
Currently the sheriff's office is hoping to create a reward for information to help move the investigation forward.
"We have been in contact with the ATF to generate a reward," Turley said. "The economy has made everything much slower and we have to wait."
There have been tips and investigators follow them, but nothing new has surfaced to help solve the murders.
"The feds have been excellent. They have always been here for us," said Turley. "Their labs have done everything they could do. We know what the bombs were. We know what touched them off. But we don't know who put them there."
With the attention of the unrelated bomb exploding in a car Aug. 7 in Warden, there is hope people might be thinking of the past bombs and remember more about the 2008 murders.
The sheriff's office is asking anyone with any information about the murders to call them at 509-754-2011. People with information about the Warden bomb are asked to call the Warden police at 509-349-2232.