Family member thinks Lacey couple murdered by tenant due to eviction

OLYMPIA, Wash. - The man accused of killing a beloved Lacey chiropractor and her husband appeared in court on Monday.

45-year-old Timothy Burke is facing murders charges for allegedly killing Karen Koep and her husband Davido.

Davido is reportedly Burke’s landlord. A family member told FOX 13 News they believe the murder was possibly due to an eviction, and court documents provide more evidence for that theory.

Court documents obtained by FOX 13 News show one of Koep’s coworkers began to worry when she did not show up for work. The coworker called 911, and deputies performed a welfare check at the family’s home on Monday, Nov. 13.

Investigators say inside the home, they found two pools of blood large enough for them to believe someone had been killed.

Deputies also reported finding evidence that showed someone dragged the bodies of the victims into the garage. Inside the garage, Koep’s car was missing.

Investigators say it also seemed as if someone tried to clean up the crime scene, and deputies reported a strong smell of bleach inside the home.

Deputies say they linked Burke to the crime because a surveillance video captured footage of him using Davido’s debit card.

Investigators say they arrested Burke for identity theft. During the arrest, they found a gun on Burke. Further crime scene investigation connected the gun to the bullets used in the murder, according to the court documents.

Police report that when they went to arrest Burke for the murder, he was hiding off of a trail.

Burke reportedly rented a property from Davido.

Documents say Burke had called 911 to the property several times. Documents also say Burke has mental health issues.

Investigators found a partially completed eviction notice written by Davido for Burke, according to court documents.

Koep’s sister told FOX 13 News she believes the eviction is the motive behind Burke’s alleged actions.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Her hands touched us all, healed us all’; Vigil held for missing Thurston Co. chiropractor

"I just hope that, you know, all of it has been resolved. I just still keep thinking, gosh, is there more to this that we don’t know about? I hope that Tim Burke was the only one involved," said Pauline Dutton, Koep’s sister.

Inside the courtroom, the defense attorney asked the judge to release Burke because he has no other violent criminal history. 

The judge denied the request and ruled that Burke would stay behind bars without bail.

Burke is not officially charged.

FOX 13 News is naming Burke due to the nature of the crime and because of his connection to the victims.

The prosecutor’s office tells FOX 13 News they have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to file charges.