The Snoqualmie Police Department announced a pivotal development in a heart-wrenching case from March 2019, with the arrest of Brendan T. Bodey on March 19, 2024.
Following a detailed investigation into the tragic death of a 6-month-old boy in North Bend, Washington, the King County Superior Court issued a second-degree murder warrant against Bodey, marking a significant step toward justice.
The incident that led to this moment began when emergency responders were called to a North Bend urgent care facility for an unresponsive infant.
Despite immediate medical intervention and care at Seattle Children’s Hospital, the young boy, identified as “JC,” succumbed to injuries that were later confirmed by the King County Medical Examiner as “inflicted injury of the head and neck,” definitively ruling the death a homicide.
This initially complex and challenging case was revitalized in August 2022 through the collaborative efforts of the Coalition of Small Police Agencies (CSPA) Major Crimes investigators[1], the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, and Seattle Children’s Hospital staff.
The Snoqualmie Police Department’s extensive investigation developed probable cause for Bodey’s arrest. He now remains in custody, with bail set at $100,000.
To understand the breakthroughs and challenges of this case, Snoqualmie Police Department’s Chief Brian Lynch shared insights from his experience since taking over the investigation:
“I was hired on July 15, 2022, at Snoqualmie PD as the new Captain. Shortly after, in August, I received a phone call from a King5 reporter asking about the case. I then started an in-depth review of the casework that had already been done,” Lynch stated, underscoring the pivotal role of renewed scrutiny and public interest in reinvigorating the investigation.
Addressing the complexities that delayed an arrest in 2019, Lynch explained, “These cases are very complex. They are some of the hardest homicide cases to prove. The detectives that worked the case back in 2019 took the case as far as they could. What the case needed was a fresh set of eyes from someone with a new set of experiences. It needed to be worked from a different approach.”
The determination to solve the case was evident in Lynch’s relentless pursuit of justice, which involved a direct approach to the victim’s family and a meticulous reassessment of the evidence. “We believe that the mother suspected that her son had been murdered, but at the time, we could not prove that the trauma occurred due to a specific homicidal action. Last year, when I flew to Kentucky to speak with the mother, I told her about the medical examiner’s findings and that I believed the trauma suffered was at the hands of Brendan Bodey. She was relieved to know that her suspicions were correct all along,” Lynch added, highlighting the importance of providing closure to the grieving family.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s office also weighed in, with Casey McNerthney (Director of Communications at the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office) stating,
“We appreciate the work of Snoqualmie Police. I think folks may see the time between the child’s death and the date of filing and wonder: Was this case collecting dust on a desk? No. There was work being done in the months and years leading up to this week’s felony case filing, and there has been excellent communication with police investigators. Their work is the foundation of this case. We wanted to make sure this case was as strong as it could be in court.”
Bodey stayed in the Western Washington area. He was arrested outside of his apartment in Tacoma. The mother has relocated to Kentucky with her family. At his arraignment, Bodey pleaded not guilty, was held on $100,000 bail, and was ordered by the court to have no contact with minors. His next court date is a routine pre-trial hearing scheduled for April 16th at the King County Courthouse. He remains in jail. His charging documents can be viewed HERE.
This collaborative effort underscores a shared commitment to justice, emphasizing that while the wheels of justice can turn slowly, they do indeed turn. With Bodey’s arrest and the upcoming court proceedings, there is a hopeful prospect for justice for JC, a sentiment deeply shared by the community and all those involved in bringing this case to light.
[1] [CSPA is the Coalition of Small Police Agencies, a cooperative effort among small police departments in King County to provide assistance during investigations, training, and emergencies.]
