Spokane Man, 74, Arrested in 1986 Cold Case Killing
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A 74-year-old Spokane man has been arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the 1986 death of Mary Ann Turner, 32, a case that went unsolved for nearly 40 years. Police say DNA evidence helped break it open.
Spokane police arrested David J. Tibbett on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, after detectives served a search warrant at his home in Spokane. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail at about 2:30 p.m. Prosecutors have not yet filed formal charges.
Officers were called at about 7:38 a.m. on Nov. 4, 1986, for a report of a person down in the roadway near South Ivory Street and East Pacific Avenue. They found Turner dead in a nearby alley. She had been strangled. Witnesses reported seeing her get into a 1970s Ford Torino at about 2:30 that morning.
According to police, detectives combined DNA evidence with witness statements gathered early in the investigation to establish probable cause for the arrest. The department credited the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab, the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy company, for their work on the case.
The Spokesman-Review reported that Turner was looking for her runaway 16-year-old daughter, Manieka, around the time she died. The paper reported that Turner entered foster care at age 11 and became pregnant at 13 while in foster care. Turner's sister, Brenda Lee, is quoted in that coverage.
Tibbett is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. No attorney for Tibbett has commented publicly, and no court date had been reported as of Oct. 22, 2026.
Police say the investigation is ongoing. Further developments, including a formal charging decision and a first court appearance, are expected.
