Spanaway man charged with killing ex-wife found dead in Kirkland

A Spanaway man, who was charged in the death of his ex-wife, was found dead Monday in Kirkland.

Scott Kagawa’s body was discovered by landscapers in an apparent suicide near his mother-in-law’s apartment complex in Kirkland. The man’s car was found on July 2 with a handwritten suicide note, according to Pierce County Sherrif’s officials. He was charged with his wife’s murder on July 5.

A Spanaway man, who was charged in the death of his ex-wife, was found dead Monday in Kirkland.

Scott Kagawa’s body was discovered by landscapers in an apparent suicide near his mother-in-law’s apartment complex in Kirkland. The man’s car was found on July 2 with a handwritten suicide note, according to Pierce County Sherrif’s officials. He was charged with his wife’s murder on July 5.

Kagawa appeared on the Crime Stoppers website after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest for first-degree murder. The posting even states that the man may be suicidal.

Kagawa disappeared after Pierce County Sheriff’s detectives interviewed him in the death of his ex-wife Rita Kagawa. During the interview, the man did not deny killing the woman, according to police records. The Thurston County Coroner’s Office has not determined Rita’s cause of death.

The woman went missing on May 18 and a hiker found her body June 26 near Yelm in Thurston County. Charging documents allege that Kagawa killed his ex-wife because he owed her $67,000 in military retirement benefits. The couple divorced in 1997 and the woman sued him for the benefits owed. The woman’s 12-year-old daughter had received some text messages from her mother the day she went missing, which was unusual, said police.

Kagawa appeared on the Crime Stoppers website after a felony warrant was issued for his arrest for first-degree murder. The posting even states that the man may be suicidal.

Kagawa disappeared after Pierce County Sheriff’s detectives interviewed him in the death of his ex-wife Rita Kagawa. During the interview, the man did not deny killing the woman, according to police records. The Thurston County Coroner’s Office has not determined Rita’s cause of death.

The woman went missing on May 18 and a hiker found her body June 26 near Yelm in Thurston County. Charging documents allege that Kagawa killed his ex-wife because he owed her $67,000 in military retirement benefits. The couple divorced in 1997 and the woman sued him for the benefits owed. The woman’s 12-year-old daughter had received some text messages from her mother the day she went missing, which was unusual, said police.

 

Contact Kirkland Reporter Regional Assistant Editor Matt Phelps at mphelps@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-9166 ext. 5052.

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