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1985 Washington Cold-Case Homicide of Elderly Couple Solved
ABC News ^ | Christina Ng | July 10, 2012

Posted on 07/10/2012 1:48:35 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Washington state officials have apparently solved the 1985 cold-case homicide of an elderly couple with an arrest that fulfills a grieving son's promise to his parents.

Wilhelmina "Minnie" Maurin and Edward "Ed" Maurin's dead bodies were found Christmas Eve 1985. They had been shot to death and dragged into a wooded area.

"At their funeral, I laid my hand on their casket and I said, 'I will find out who did this,'" the couple's son, Dennis Hadaller, said at a news conference Monday.

A team of investigators from the Lewis County Sheriff's Office in Chehalis, Wash., was dispatched to Alaska July 8 to make an arrest in connection to the slayings.

Rick Riffe, 53, of King Salmon, Ala., was arrested and will be processed for extradition back to Washington to stand trial for what Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield called "horrific crimes."

Minnie and Ed Maurin were 83 and 81 years old, respectively, when they were reported missing by family members Dec. 19, 1985. The family became worried when the couple were not home, as planned, for a family Christmas party, according to police.

The next day, witnesses reported to police they spotted the Maurins' car and authorities found "a large amount of blood stains and the keys were in the ignition," police said.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: Alaska; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: alaska; washington

1 posted on 07/10/2012 1:48:40 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
King Salmon is in Alaska--the story has the abbreviation "Ala." which is an old abbreviation for Alabama. The suspect was found in Alaska.

This is not meant to disparage Alabama salmon.

2 posted on 07/10/2012 2:01:05 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus

That’s okay. All our salmon are in cans, so they won’t hear......


3 posted on 07/10/2012 2:11:17 PM PDT by Red Badger (Think logically. Act normally.................)
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To: Verginius Rufus

Maybe ABC news doesn’t know that Alaska is usually abbreviated Ak by the Post Office


4 posted on 07/10/2012 2:13:41 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: nickcarraway
The prosecutor in the case told ABC News' Seattle affiliate KOMO that he did not plan to pursue the death penalty for Riffe because of his failing health.

Why not? Go for it. He needs a much stress and worry as he can get.

5 posted on 07/10/2012 2:14:18 PM PDT by bgill
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To: Nifster

The Fifty-seventh state.


6 posted on 07/10/2012 2:30:15 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("Ambition Without Talent Is Sad - Talent Without Ambition Is Worse")
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To: nickcarraway

Just sickening.

God bless the investigators who work these kinds of cases. What a frustrating job that must be.


7 posted on 07/10/2012 2:44:50 PM PDT by workerbee (June 28, 2012 -- 9/11 From Within)
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To: nickcarraway

Sick bastards. How can someone do such a thing to elderly people?


8 posted on 07/10/2012 2:54:04 PM PDT by POWERSBOOTHEFAN (It's hurricane season! Yay!)
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To: Nifster
Nah! They are so busy thinking we in AL are so stupid, they entirely overlook the fact that the stupid ones are looking back at them from their mirrors.

Glad to be a southern woman clinging to my faith and my guns.

vaudine

9 posted on 07/10/2012 3:01:27 PM PDT by vaudine
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To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN

Easy targets likely with lots of money. Since they are old it is not as bad to kill them because they are not losing all that much. Their loved ones? They will get over it, everyone dies eventually. Besides I want the money, NOW, and I am more important than anyone else in the world..../criminal mind off.


10 posted on 07/10/2012 3:12:47 PM PDT by HerrBlucher ("The cross opens its arms to the four winds; it is a signpost for free travelers." GK Chesterton)
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To: nickcarraway
Rick Riffe

I'm afraid if I click on that link I'm going to be Rick Rolled.

11 posted on 07/10/2012 3:25:01 PM PDT by Fido969
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To: nickcarraway
What if you are pretty sure who should be charged with murder of a San Francisco policeman but the Ayers have friends in high places. . . . Justice Department: 'Zip it' on Ayers probe
12 posted on 07/10/2012 3:28:08 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: nickcarraway

Just kill him. Maggots got to eat, too.


13 posted on 07/10/2012 3:47:40 PM PDT by Carriage Hill (All libs and most dems think that life is just a sponge bath, with a happy ending.)
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To: Nifster
I've noticed people get confused by the AK abbreviation--some people think it means "Arkansas." It may be the person who wrote the story is too young to remember the era before the two-letter abbreviations.

I had a great-uncle (died more than 30 years ago) who still used "Ills." as the abbreviation for "Illinois."

14 posted on 07/10/2012 10:54:49 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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To: Verginius Rufus

Yup I remember those days.


15 posted on 07/10/2012 11:02:48 PM PDT by Nifster
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To: Verginius Rufus

Many years ago I worked with a company building a truck loading facility in Arkansas. We had some equipment being shipped to Helena, AR.

They called us because they could not find Helena, Arizona on their maps. They wanted to know what city it was near.

I was happy there was NOT a Helena, Arizona on their maps.


16 posted on 07/12/2012 10:48:22 AM PDT by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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