Man charged after body found in suitcase at encampment

Man charged with Seattle encampment murder

Washington State Patrol confirmed Thursday that 57-year-old Steven Nguyen has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to a body that was found in a suitcase at a Seattle encampment.

SEATTLE - A man has been arrested and charged in connection to a woman's murder, where her body was found stuffed in a suitcase and dumped at a Seattle encampment.

Washington State Patrol confirmed Thursday that 57-year-old Steven Nguyen has been charged with second-degree murder. He's currently being held in the King County Jail on $2 million bail.

Nguyen is accused of killing Shannon Reeder, whose remains were discovered on September 27 during an encampment sweep at Jose Rizal Park, near the I-5/I-90 Junction.

Chris Loftis, spokesperson for Washington State Patrol (WSP), says Nguyen was arrested on a Department of Corrections warrant on October 3. He was officially charged in the homicide case on October 16.

Loftis added Nguyen was a resident of an encampment where the remains were found.

WSP also said Reeder was known to visit Nguyen at the encampment, but she had housing elsewhere. Investigators are still working to learn more about their relationship.

According to probable cause documents, Reeder's body was found at an unoccupied homeless encampment, specifically in a suitcase under a makeshift bed in one of the tent structures.

Inside the tent, detectives said they discovered mail with Nguyen's name on it. Additionally, a former encampment resident allegedly said he noticed a strong odor coming from Nguyen's tent after his bed "had been lifted up from the ground on a podium structure."

An autopsy report determined that Reeder had had several broken bones, gashes, and other wounds consistent with a machete or axe attack. It's believed Reeder was left in the suitcase for several weeks/months based on her body's condition, and because her last confirmed sighting was in November 2023.

Nguyen was arrested by Seattle Police in the Chinatown-International District on October 3.

In an interview with WSP detectives, Nguyen claimed that Reeder overdosed on fentanyl as the two were smoking together inside his tent, court documents say. When asked about Reeder's injuries, Nguyen allegedly stated she slipped, hit her head on rocks, and twisted her arm a day before she overdosed.

According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Nguyen admitted to putting Reeder in the suitcase and stashing it under his bed. He claimed he got scared and didn't notify authorities. Detectives also say Nguyen initially told them the smell coming from his tent was from a makeshift toilet.

Nguyen was convicted of second-degree assault in 2022, where he drove a woman to Seward Park and assaulted her after she refused to do a sexual act.

Court documents state Nguyen choked the woman, pointed a handgun at the woman's head, and pulled the trigger, but it was not loaded. The woman escaped, but Steven caught up with her and had her get back in the truck before police arrived.

Prosecutors added Nguyen was previously offered housing by CoLEAD, but refused, saying the outreach organization had "too many rules," like requiring him to "check in" and not allowing him to "smoke inside" or "go out at night."

Along with 20 warrants for failing to appear, Nguyen also has prior felony convictions for unlawful imprisonment, forgery, battery and fraud.

Nguyen is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on October 30.

We Heart Seattle plans to clean up the encampment site where Reeder's body was found on Friday.