Renton, WA police seek help in unsolved 2023 murder in parking lot

RENTON, Wash. - It's been a little more than three years since a man was shot and killed inside his car in a Renton parking lot.

Now, detectives are sharing new details on the case and asking for the public's help to identify his killer.

The backstory:

Crime scene photos from March 7, 2023 show the shattered driver's side window blown out by bullets fired into 37-year-old Corbett Painter's car. The father to a young son was sitting in the parking lot of the Benson Plaza Fred Meyer in Renton when he was murdered.

"We received a phone call. Multiple shots fired and the witness also heard a car speeding from the area," said Meeghan Black of the Renton Police Department.

When officers got there, they found Painter in the driver's seat suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers and EMT's treated him and rushed him to Harborview Medical Center.

"In the meantime, we received a phone call from someone saying they were a witness to the shooting. This individual says that they were parked side by side in the parking lot of Fred Meyer. They were chatting when someone came up and opened fire and this person took off and once they got to safety, they called 911," Black said.

The only description they could give for the suspect was that he was wearing all black clothing.

"It's very frustrating for investigators to not be able to have a better description. All the video surveillance is either of poor quality or it's so dark out that we can't make out any features," Black said.

Dig deeper:

Police say after the shooting, the suspect got into a black sedan. Detectives located video showing the car, which surprisingly didn't leave the area. The shooter circled around where detectives think it parked at the gas station above the grocery store parking lot.

"Do detectives think Corbett was targeted? So it's unclear whether or not Corbett was targeted or if this was a case of mistaken identity," Black said.

Now, detectives say it's a possibility that it was a case of mistaken identity.

His family says he was known for his humor and describes him as the loudest person in the room who made everyone laugh. He had a way about him that made every person feel like they were the most important person in the room. His son was his favorite person in the world. 

While he did struggle with sobriety, detectives haven't found a single piece of evidence as to why someone would want him dead. That's why they need to hear from anyone who has information on the shooter.

What you can do:

"He may be talking to someone out there and that's why we really need anybody who knows anything about Corbett Painter and what happened on March 7, 2023 at that Fred Meyer parking lot to please get ahold of us," Black said.

As this really is a case of whodunit, Renton police are asking you to reach out to them if you know anything about the black sedan or who was driving it.

You can also remain anonymous when you submit a tip to Crime Stoppers through the P3 Tips app on your cell phone.

They are offering a $1,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of Corbett's killer.

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