On the night of January 31, 2023, 43-year-old Sean Devon Peoples of Kent, Washington, was killed inside a room at the Kent Valley Motel on Central Avenue North. Multiple 911 callers reported gunshots around 10:23 p.m., and officers who responded found Peoples and a 32-year-old woman from Alaska named Sharmayne Jackson dead in the room. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office later determined both victims died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators described the double killing as not appearing to be random, indicating the victims may have been targeted. In the weeks after the slayings no immediate arrests were announced, and the Kent Police Department sought the public’s help identifying a couple wanted in connection with the murders. The investigation remained active as the community mourned the loss.

If anyone has information about Peoples, Jackson, or the couple being sought, please contact the Kent Police Department.