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Man admits to murdering missing WA woman
The man accused of murdering a woman who was reported missing back in 2021 was in court on Tuesday.
THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. - An arrest has been made in the homicide of Amanda Green, a woman who had disappeared in 2021.
What we know:
Green was reported as a missing indigenous person to the Tacoma Police Department.
Timeline:
In 2022, Tacoma police provided the Thurston County Sheriff's Office with information that suggested she had been murdered in the Yelm area.
Detectives investigated and determined a person of interest, but there was not enough evidence to arrest the person.
Amanda Green (Thurston County Sheriff's Office)
In March, detectives focused their investigation on the person of interest, identified as James Lewis.
Over the weekend, deputies located and interviewed Lewis about Green's disappearance.
According to the sheriff's office, Lewis cooperated with investigators and led them to a shallow grave in Lewis County near Mount Rainier.
Human remains were recovered. Investigators believe the remains belong to Green, but positive identification is pending.
Lewis was arrested and booked into the Thurston County Jail for second-degree murder, unlawful possession of a forearm and unlawful disposal of human remains. He is being held without bail.
Dig deeper:
According to court documents, Lewis told detectives he got into an argument with Green back in 2021, and admitted to pulling out a gun and fatally shooting her. He allegedly claimed he tried to make her death look like an overdose.
Lewis was previously convicted of assault and child rape. Formal charges in the case are expected later this week, with his arraignment scheduled fgor Sep. 16.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office said it dedicated more resources to cold cases due to a fully-staffed detective unit, and credited the Washington State Department of Corrections and Tacoma Police for their assistance in the case.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
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