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The identities and cause of death have been released for the four people found dead inside a Pierce County home on New Year’s Eve.
PUYALLUP, Wash. — Pierce County authorities have released the identities and causes of death for the four people found inside a home near Puyallup on New Year’s Eve, two of whom were found inside a freezer in the garage.
Detectives previously said the four victims found inside the home were adults and that all of the bodies were in a state of decomposition.
According to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, William Vosler, 68, died from a stab wound of the chest and blunt head trauma; Eileen Vosler, 66, died from multiple stab wounds of the chest and neck; Shane Vosler, 33, died from a gunshot wound to the head as a result of suicide and Sue Bin Lee, 34, died from a gunshot wound to head with an undetermined manner of death.
William and Eileen Vosler’s deaths were ruled homicides, the medical examiner said, however the motive for the killings remains unknown.
Deputies determined Shane was the adult son of parents William and Eileen, and Sue Bin was his girlfriend.
“Everybody in that household died at a different time frame with the son being the last one to be deceased,” said Carly Cappetto, public information officer for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
The bodies of the father and the mother were found in a freezer in the garage, Cappetto told KING 5.
“The mother and father had been deceased since sometime around the summer,” she said. “The son [and girlfriend] continued to live in that home for nearly six months or more when those deceased parents had been in the home.”
Deputies gathered enough evidence to determine Shane and his girlfriend were potential suspects in the murder of his parents, however it’s unclear if the girlfriend’s death was self-inflicted or if someone else killed her.
“It’s unknown at the time who killed who,” Cappetto said. With all of the involved people deceased, the department will soon be closing the case, she added.
Details of the investigation
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department did two welfare checks: one on Dec. 23, where a deputy saw no signs of obvious signs of smell or forced entry, and the second on Dec. 29 when authorities learned the son’s girlfriend posted online in November that she “was considering suicide with [the son],” documents state.
On New Year’s Eve, two other sons of William and Eileen went to the Puyallup home to check on their parents with a deputy on standby. Documents state they removed an AC unit on the second floor to enter the home.
Less than a minute after entering the home, documents state one of the sons rushed out of the home and said he saw a woman in a room covered in blood. The deputy “smelled a distinct odor of body decomposition” at the door of the home as more units responded to the scene.
Multiple items seized from the scene include guns, cellphones and two notes that were attached to one of the refrigerators stating: “Time of death July 24th 5:45 a.m.” and “Time of death July 24th 3 p.m.” More notes about time of death were found on the freezer in the garage.
In a bedroom upstairs, deputies found a woman, identified as Sue Bin, on the bed who was “obviously deceased.” In the main bedroom, deputies found the bathroom door was locked and saw dried blood on the floor under the door.
There was a single bullet hole in the door. Deputies were unable to fully force open the bathroom door but saw a bullet and the body of a man, identified as Shane, inside the bathroom, who was also dead.
Neighbors Bill and Cheri Bosma have lived in the neighborhood for 22 years, just two doors down from the Voslers.
“It was very sobering,” said Bill Bosma. “It was in our gut that may have been what happened, but hearing it now… it confirmed our fears.”
“We noticed when we would drive by there was always a lot of activity in the driveway, working on cars and in the yard. We both noticed that. Suddenly, it seemed like all activity had stopped,” said Cheri Bosma. “It just didn’t seem right.”
PIO Cappetto said this was a traumatic case for all involved: the community, law enforcement and medical professionals who responded to the scene.
“Hopefully, we all learn as a community to check up on our loved ones sooner and put better mental health services in place,” she said.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. Visit Vibrant Emotional Health’s Safe Space for digital resources.