Formerly missing Thurston County teen arrested, booked for alleged murder

Two 16-year-olds were arrested Friday night in connection to a homicide investigation in unincorporated Pierce County near Orting, where deputies found a man dead with a gunshot wound inside his home. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD), one of the teenagers involved was the Olympia High School football player who went missing, and was later found safe last Thursday.

A law enforcement source has confirmed to FOX 13 News Anchor David Rose that the victim has been identified as 51-year-old Daniel McCaw.

Pierce County Sheriff's Office

According to the PCSD, at around 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, deputies responded to a home near the corner of 190th St. E and 219th Ace. Ct. E. to do a welfare check. Deputies were told that McCaw had not shown up to work for four days.

When deputies got inside his house, they found him dead with a gunshot wound, but there was no firearm nearby.

PCSD detectives and forensic investigators spent Thursday and Friday collecting evidence from the scene.

Authorities say detectives had enough evidence to develop probable cause and arrest two 16-year-old boys in connection to the case. Just after 8:00 p.m., both of them were taken into custody.

Both teenagers were booked into Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center for second-degree murder, burglary in the first degree and unlawful possession of a firearm.

This photo of Gabriel Davies is the picture that was posted by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office when he was reported ‘missing under suspicious circumstances’, launching a frantic statewide search. (Photo: Thurston County Sheriff’s Office)

FOX 13 reached out to PCSD Sergeant Darren Moss, who confirmed that one of the 16-year-old suspects was Gabriel Davies, the Olympia High School football player who was reported "missing under suspicious circumstances" earlier this week, and later found safe.

On Aug. 31, Davies left his home in Olympia to attend his high school football practice. Davies never showed up at practice, and his car was found 14 miles from the high school near Tenino.

"Our deputies found a vehicle with items strewn about, a small amount of blood, inside the vehicle and a phone that had been shattered on the ground," said Lt. Cameron Simper with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Missing Thurston Co. teen found safe

At around 10:00 p.m. on Thursday night, Davies was found safe near the 13600 block of Tilley Road South.

According to PCSD Sergeant Moss, there is a lot more information that will be released at a later time.

This is a developing story.