Richard Plumlee, a 43-year-old Caucasian man, was found shot in the parking lot of the Yakima Inn on North First Street on December 17, 2019. Officers arrived about 10:20 p.m.; they provided emergency aid and he was transported to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m. An autopsy determined a gunshot wound to the torso was the cause of death and the death was ruled a homicide.

Yakima Police initially made no arrests and obtained a search warrant for a motel room while detectives investigated. The case received renewed attention when a suspect was later identified and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm; key witness statements implicated the suspect. The investigation and subsequent legal actions drew on witness testimony and evidence gathered from the scene and the motel room.