Dan Spaeth, 37, a corrections officer, husband and father from Snohomish, Washington, was killed while trying to help a family of deer cross South Machias Road on the evening of September 7, 2023. After assisting his son with homework, Spaeth and his wife stepped outside their home to slow traffic in an area known for speeding. Around 7:45 p.m., a Jeep followed by a black sedan approached; a single shot fired from the sedan struck Spaeth in the chest. Bystanders, including two with medical training, attempted aid but Spaeth was pronounced dead at the scene. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound and the manner of death a homicide.

Investigators used witness accounts and video from a nearby business to identify the suspect vehicle as an older Lexus with a missing bumper. The next day an off-duty sheriff’s deputy located the car and its owner, 22-year-old Dylan Picard of Lake Stevens, was detained; he reportedly told police I shot somebody and later described firing what he called a warning shot. Witnesses gave differing accounts about whether Spaeth had been aggressive; a passenger in Picard’s car told investigators Picard reached around her to shoot Spaeth and later showed her the casing.

Anyone who saw the shooting or has information about the older Lexus with a missing bumper is asked to come forward.