Fugitive Reed brothers charged with murder; 'significant blood evidence' found in search for Arlington couple



EVERETT, Wash. -- Fugitive brothers John and Tony Reed were charged with first-degree murder Tuesday in the case of the Arlington couple who went missing April 11, and authorities said they found "significant blood evidence" in the cargo area of the husband and wife's vehicles that led them to believe they were slain.

In court documents, Snohomish County prosecutor's office said the Land Rover and Jeep belonging to 45-year-old Patrick Shunn and his wife, 46-year-old Monique Patenaude, "had obvious blood pooling and smearing, and some blood splatter in their respective interiors. The largest concentration of blood in the vehicles appeared to be in the cargo area, consistent with a body having laid there some amount of time."

The vehicles were found down an embankment on Sunday in a remote, wooded area near Oso, Wash.

The court documents stated, "On or about April 11 ... the two defendants, brother John Blaine Reed (dob 9/1/62) and Tony Clyde Reed (dob 11/19/66) murdered husband and wife Patrick Michael Shunn and Monique Marie Patenaude. The murders most likely occurred on the Shunn/Patenaude property located at 27809 Whitman Rd., Arlington, WA.

"The precise mechanism of death for Mr. Shunn and Ms. Patenaude is unclear at this point as their bodies have not been recovered. However significant blood evidence located in the vehicles of Shunn and Patenaude, in the truck belonging to John Reed, on the property that formerly belonged to defendant John Reed ... and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of ... (the couple) lead to the inescapable conclusion that they are dead."

The documents said "dried blood" was also located in the bathtub of John Reed's former property, and that a "fresh" 9mm shell casing was found just outside the locked gate that leads between the former home of John Reed and the Shun/Patenaude home.

On Saturday, detectives traveled to Ellensburg and the home of the Reeds' parents. Inside the garage they found the red Toyota extended cab truck belonging to John Reed. Blood was found on the passenger side floorboard, police said. The defendants' father said he did not know where his two sons were, but if he did, he would not tell law enforcement, the documents stated. The father said his sons arrived in Ellensburg on April 13 and left on April 14 in a red 2007 Volkswagen EOS coupe.

On Sunday, law enforcement received information that the Reed brothers were in Phoenix. The Volkswagen was found, along with two people who said they gave the defendants $500 cash and the keys to a 2002 gold Acura. The brothers left Phoenix sometime on Sunday night, April 17, or in the early morning hours of Monday, April 18, the documents said.

"The last information available to affiant prior to writing this document is that the 2002 Acura was spotted in California near the Mexican border on Monday, April 18," the documents said.

Authorities said they believe the Reed brothers may be heading into Mexico.