An Olympia man was charged Friday in Thurston County Superior Court for connections to a body found on a dead-end roadway in the Yelm area on Jan. 12.
James Wade Brady, 67, currently faces one count each of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a short barreled shotgun.
A judge found probable cause earlier this week to charge him with unlawful disposal of human remains, a misdemeanor, but that charge had not been filed as of Friday afternoon.
The victim has been identified by the Thurston County Coroner’s Office as James Hickson, 61, of Olympia.
His cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, according to Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock.
“At this time, there is no indication that James was murdered,” Deputy Prosecutor Sierra Mitchell states in an affidavit of probable cause filed in Brady’s Thurston County Superior Court case on Wednesday, Jan. 14. “However, there is probable cause that Jimmy (James Brady) was in possession of a firearm and that he unlawfully disposed of James’ remains.”
Brady had his preliminary hearing in Thurston County Superior Court on Wednesday, where bail was set at $25,000 per charge, for a total of $50,000.
He was still in custody at the Thurston County Jail as of Friday afternoon.
Court documents shed light on the ongoing Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) investigation that led to Brady’s arrest.
TCSO deputies were dispatched to a death investigation in the 14800 block of Lindsay Road Southeast in Yelm at approximately 2:56 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12. A detective arrived at the scene at approximately 4:25 p.m.
When deputies arrived, they confirmed the victim was dead and had injuries to his body, including his head and torso.
He was located on his back, with his legs folded to the right side, according to court documents. He had “what appeared to be blunt force trauma to the top/front of his head,” with investigators describing the injury as “circular, similar to the head of a hammer.”
The victim also had “a line of dried blood” on his forehead, indicating another cut.
On his torso, investigators noted “an unfamiliar circular pattern on his abdomen that looked similar to octopus tentacles.”
His body appeared to have been dragged, according to court documents. His pants were unbuttoned and pulled down, with a small tear near the belt loops on the left side.
Investigators determined that the victim had been dead for at least a few days by the time his body was found.
They reported that a vehicle likely “backed up to or turned around at the end of the road and pulled him out of the vehicle and dumped him,” according to court documents.
The dead-end road where the body was found is located adjacent to Lawrence Lake Road, with a dirt berm preventing vehicles from turning directly from Lake Lawrence Road onto Lindsay Road.
An obvious walking trail has developed over the dirt berm, according to court documents.
After interviewing nearby residents and a subject who frequents the walking trail, investigators determined that a blue 2000s Honda Odyssey was seen driving to the dump location at about 10:12 a.m. on Jan. 12 and leaving the dump location at about 10:41 a.m. Investigators obtained surveillance footage of the vehicle and found it was registered to Brady.
Meanwhile, investigators identified the victim as Hickson based on his tattoos and found that he had called 911 on Dec. 30 to request a ride from the Centralia Safeway to his RV parked at Jerry’s Texaco and Automotive in Olympia.
A detective located the motorhome on Jan. 13, and learned that Brady was a “family friend” of the Hickson who had been staying with him for about two months, according to court documents.
Inside Brady’s van, detectives reportedly found a floor mat with a circular floor pattern matching the “octopus tentacle” pattern on the victim’s torso. There was also a small sledgehammer, a blue tarp, approximately one foot of thick rope and a sawed off shotgun.
Additionally, there appeared to be “a red liquid substance” in the back of the van, according to court documents.
When questioned, Brady allegedly said he was home all day on Monday, Jan. 12, and that no one else used his van.
Witnesses reported last seeing Brady on Thursday, Jan. 8, before he returned with his van at about 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12.
He invoked his right to remain silent following his arrest, according to court documents.
Arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The case is "still under extensive investigation," according to TCSO Sheriff Derek Sanders.
More information will be released as the investigation continues.
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact TCSO detectives at detectives@co.thurston.wa.us.
