Murder weapon possibly dumped near Calexico

Investigators from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that they believe two pistols used to murder a couple last year may have been dumped along highway routes that lead to border crossings into Mexico, including State Route 111 or State Route 78 near Calexico, State Route 95 from Yuma or along the Tucson-Ajo Highway in Arizona.

Authorities from the sheriff’s office, located in Washington, asks anyone from the public to come forward if they found a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol or .357 revolver in any of the possible areas since April 2016.

The weapons are sought in connection with a murder that occurred last year of an Oso couple, 45 year-old Patrick Shunn and his wife 46 year-old Monique Patenaude, stated a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Shunn and Patenaude were murdered execution-style by their neighbor John Reed. John and his brother buried the couple’s bodies and dumped their vehicles in the woods north of where they lived before fleeing to Mexico. John and Tony were apprehended last year and returned to Snohomish County to stand trial.

Based on information developed during the investigation, it is believed the Reed brothers threw the weapons used in the murders from the highway before crossing the border into Mexico, although the specific highway and location is unknown.

Anyone with other information about the investigation should contact the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office anonymous tip line at 425-388-3845.