WA father returning home with groceries brutally attacked and killed, detectives seek help
MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. - A 41-year-old father was violently attacked while returning home with groceries, and the case detective and his family are now pleading for the public's assistance in solving his murder.
Jesse Kandel was shot on June 4, 2024, and the lack of clues surrounding the case has left both investigators and loved ones searching for answers.
Deputies responded to a call about a person with a gunshot at around 11:35 p.m. at the Wilderness Village Apartments on SE 240th Street in Maple Valley.
"When we got there, we realized he was brutally attacked just outside his apartment," said Detective Laura Peckham with the King County Sheriff's Major Crimes Unit.
Jesse’s groceries were found strewn on the ground and there was no evidence of a robbery. "It feels like a crime of passion. It feels personal," she remarked, noting that a witness reported looking out of their window and seeing a black male push Jesse into the bushes shortly after hearing a gunshot. They questioned neighbors and searched unsuccessfully for surveillance cameras.
"Usually, we can get video of something, especially an apartment complex where people have their own video in their windows and there's just nothing to go off of, and that's odd, and it's difficult to work with," said Det. Peckham.
The investigation has yet to uncover any motive for the attack, leaving family members in disbelief.
"It doesn't make sense," said Freida Knapp, Jesse's mother. She says he was the youngest of five children and was known as a friendly but quiet man, described as a deep thinker with the occasional silly side.
The Thanksgiving holiday was somber, and now they are preparing emotionally for Christmas. The family put up a 'Jesse' tree in his honor, decorated with his ornaments.
"It’s not only Jesse that you miss, but it’s a nephew, a grandson that is missing, so it’s like a double loss," said Jodi Brooks, his sister.
Jesse worked as a union electrician, spent his spare time hiking and fishing, and was a devoted father to his three-year-old son.
"The commitment and dedication and love that I saw in him as a father was just amazing," said Brooks.
Jesse's mom says the grieving has just begun and she is leaning on her faith.
"My take from the beginning was that God knows what went down and so when I pray, I pray that the truth would come out and that lies would be exposed, whatever that means," said Knapp.
Man killed in Maple Valley shooting; suspect on the loose
Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed outside of a Maple Valley apartment Tuesday night.
Detective Peckham is urging the community for help with any information.
"I think there's gotta be more. Anything I can listen to, I want to hear. The most important thing to me is that I can bring some type of semblance of closure to this family so they can properly mourn Jesse."
If you have any information or heard anything that might help solve the case, you are urged to submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound. You can text information through the P3 Tips app on your cellphone or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 cash reward for any information leading to an arrest.
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