Judge sets $5M bail for suspect in deadly stabbing of Seattle Metro bus driver
SEATTLE - The man accused of fatally stabbing a King County Metro bus driver last month in Seattle pleaded not guilty to charges on Monday.
Richard Sitzlack, 53, faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder and two counts of assault.
Seattle police arrested Sitzlack in December while he was on a Metro bus days after the deadly stabbing. He is accused of killing Metro bus driver Shawn Yim.
A judge on Jan. 6 set bail at $5 million at the King County Courthouse.
Photo of Shawn Yim from "Shawn Yim Remembrance Fund" GoFundMe page. (GoFundMe)
The stabbing occurred in the early morning hours on Dec. 18 near the University of Washington campus. Investigators said Sitzlack was a passenger on the bus driven by Yim, 59, who had worked for the transit agency for several years.
Sitzlack had previously been arrested for murder in 2023, but the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office determined there was insufficient evidence to disprove his self-defense claim in that case, which involved the fatal stabbing of his roommate.
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Seattle Metro bus murder suspect arrested last year for stabbing, killing roommate
The man wanted for the murder of a Seattle metro driver was arrested a year ago for the murder of his roommate, but released due to a lack of evidence, according to the prosecutor’s office.
In the current case, prosecutors have charged Sitzlack with first-degree murder, including a deadly weapon enhancement, as well as second-degree assault for using pepper spray on Yim and third-degree assault for kicking the driver before the stabbing.
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