Seattle police identify suspect in fatal U District bus driver stabbing
Updated on 12/19/24 at 3:24 p.m.
The Seattle Police Department has identified 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack as a suspect in the fatal stabbing of a King County Metro bus driver in the University District neighborhood on Wednesday. Shawn Yim, 59, was stabbed in the chest amid an altercation and died at the scene.
Sitzlack had been implicated in another stabbing death last year, but the case stalled due to a lack of evidence, according to King County prosecutors.
Police say Sitzlack is armed and dangerous and they're seeking the public's help with locating him. Police describe him as having brown eyes and hair, standing at 6'5" tall, and weighing roughly 195 lbs. Sitzlack "was last seen wearing a navy-blue hooded sweatshirt, dark gray/blue jacket, black beanie, yellow backpack, blue camouflage pants, dark sneakers with white soles, carrying a red shopping bag," according to police.
RELATED: Fatal stabbing of King County Metro bus driver highlights Seattle transit safety concerns
Officials say Sitzlack is transient and frequents the University District and Downtown Seattle. Anyone with information about Sitzlack and his whereabouts is urged to call 911.
KUOW doesn't typically name crime suspects until they've been formally charged, unless it's determined they could present a public danger.
Seattle Police Detective Eric Muñoz told KUOW that officials linked Sitzlack to Yim's stabbing death based on descriptions of the suspect's clothing matching video surveillance footage of Sitzlack.
"We are not looking for any other suspects at this time," Muñoz said.
Officials with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office told KUOW Sitzlack was also connected to a fatal stabbing case in November 2023, which ultimately didn’t proceed because of a lack of evidence.
Sitzlack had called 911 from Cowan Park in the University District and waited for police to arrive. According to the prosecutor's office, Sitzlack told police he’d escaped from an apartment in the 5500 block of University Way Northeast, where he'd stabbed his roommate in what Sitzlack claimed was self-defense.
Prosecutor's office spokesperson Casey McNerthney said that despite some inconsistencies, “there was nothing to definitely prove that Sitzlack’s claim of self-defense was wrong.” McNerthney added that there's no statute of limitations for murder cases and the 2023 case could still move forward if new evidence emerges.
Officers responded on Wednesday to reports of a stabbing near 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 41st Street shortly before 3:00 a.m. They provided medical aid to Yim, who subsequently died from his injuries after walking a short distance from the bus. A police K9 search on Wednesday for the stabbing suspect was unsuccessful.
Leaders of Local 587-Seattle, the union representing King County bus drivers, say Wednesday's attack is not an isolated incident and have pointed to an uptick in violence aboard public transit. They've outlined several demands of the county, including secure, isolated compartments for bus drivers, a significant increase in the number of Metro transit police officers, and the creation of a regional task force on transit safety and security.
Yim's death marks the first killing of a King County Metro bus driver on the job in 26 years. In 1998, bus operator Mark McLaughlin was shot and killed by a passenger who later turned the gun on himself.
Wednesday's stabbing also came one day after Metro announced it would indefinitely halt bus service in the Little Saigon area of Seattle's Chinatown-International District neighborhood, citing ongoing safety concerns near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street. The area has become known as a crime hotspot in recent years.
In November, a man was arrested in connection with a two-day stabbing spree near the area, in which 10 victims were injured. No deaths were reported in connection with the mass stabbing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Liz Brazile, Jason Pagano, and Amy Radil contributed to this report.
