Colin Bastow, 42, was killed in an apartment in Medical Lake, Washington, on December 23, 2022. An Army veteran who worked as a horseback tour guide and carpenter, he was remembered by friends and family for his art, woodworking and generosity. Deputies were called around 11 a.m. for reports of a gunshot and screaming and found Bastow with fatal gunshot wounds; paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

The shooting occurred during a volatile on-and-off relationship with 25-year-old Cynthia Metsker. Metsker was detained at the scene and became the sole suspect. She told investigators she shot Bastow in self-defense after he pinned her and she grabbed a pistol; a 16-year-old witness present said they heard an argument, saw Bastow on top of Metsker, and saw him walking away when a shot was fired. Court records describe prior domestic-related incidents and arrests involving Metsker and note her chemical dependency.

Anyone who knew Colin or has information about the relationship or what happened that morning is asked to come forward.