BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – New details have been released following the arrest of two suspects in the murder of a man in a north Bellingham homeless encampment.
Court documents state that the victim, 30-year-old Zachariah Janusiewicz, had acquired a large amount of fentanyl and intended to sell it at the encampment near Tull Road early on April 15.
CashApp payments sent to Janusiewicz led detectives to believe that one of his customers was 33-year-old Gale Jefferson.
A witness who lived in the encampment told detectives that Jefferson and his alleged accomplice, 35-year-old Coleen Clark, accused him and others of stealing money from them that same night. The witness says Janusiewicz arrived while Clark and Jefferson were “acting crazy.”
They then turned on Janusiewicz and accused him of stealing from them when they saw that he possessed drugs and money. Clark chased Janusiewicz as he ran away but she tripped and fired a shot that hit him.
Responding officers found the Everson man with a gunshot wound at around 3:00 a.m. after several people wheeled him out of the encampment.
Janusiewicz passed away in a hospital later that morning.
Clark and Jefferson were arrested by Lummi Police on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 7.
Clark had several existing warrants for her arrest from assault, burglary and other charges, while Jefferson had an existing warrant for a DUI.
Both suspects remain at the Whatcom County Jail without bail.
