Man sought in disappearance of Olympia woman arrested

RITZVILLE — An Olympia man who was wanted by police in the disappearance of an Olympia woman was arrested Thursday near Ritzville.

Deputies with the Adams County Sheriff’s Department assisted a Washington State Patrol trooper with finding James Stidd, 66, of Olympia, who was wanted in Thurston County for unlawful possession of a firearm and is a prime suspect in the disappearance of an elderly woman in the Olympia area. Thurston County Sheriff’s Office officials were able to track Stidd’s location via cellphone and he was arrested at a rest area near Ritzville. He was initially transported to the Adams County Jail, but was later turned over to Thurston County detectives and transported to the Thurston County Jail, where he was booked on four counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and suspicion of second-degree murder.

Stidd was the last person to be seen with Gail J. Doyle, 60, of Olympia. They were spotted together at a tavern in the Olympia area on June 2 and reportedly got into a verbal argument and left the area in Stidd’s 1996 Honda Civic, according to the TCSO. The woman was reported missing by a family member two days later on June 4.

Detectives with the Olympia Police Department made the initial contact with Stidd, with Stidd stating Doyle requested to get out of his car after the argument at the tavern and he complied. Stidd stated he hadn’t seen Doyle since dropping her off, but OPD detectives continued their investigation and went on to serve a search warrant at Stidd’s Thurston County residence.

Detectives reportedly found “significant,” but not currently released, evidence at Stidd’s house, which led OPD detectives to contact the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services Division to take lead on the investigation, according to the TCSO.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.