SEATTLE, WA – Two 16-year-old boys were discovered deceased near Interstate 5, in a case that Washington State Patrol believes involves linked homicides. The bodies were concealed behind a towering concrete barrier and thick woodland along the bustling highway in Seattle.
The first teenager was discovered in a ditch near North 85th Street and I-5 by a passerby on Thursday evening. The second body was found approximately half a mile away about 12 hours later, at around 8 a.m. on Friday. Both teens, according to authorities, succumbed to gunshot injuries.
The victims have been identified as Jahaz S. Phillips and Myion Coleman. The circumstances leading up to the murders, as well as the precise time and location of the killings, remain under investigation. The authorities have yet to provide details on how they believe the two cases are linked.
Trooper Rick Johnson of the Washington State Patrol informed local media on Sunday that the connection between the deaths was established after interviewing the victims’ families. However, he did not provide further details.
The area where the bodies were found is obscured by a large wall and dense greenery, making it difficult to see from the main highway. Initially, it was believed that the teens were victims of a hit-and-run, but autopsies later confirmed they died from gunshot wounds.