WA LETICIA MARTINEZ-COSMAN: Missing from Seattle, WA - 31 March 2023 - Age 58 *Found Deceased*

Seattle woman vanishes after Mariners game, man arrested and son attacked by stranger at 2 a.m., source says | Fox News

Leticia Martinez-Cosman went to a Seattle Mariners game Friday and hasn't been seen since

www.foxnews.com

Seattle woman vanishes after Mariners game, man arrested and son attacked by stranger at 2 a.m., source says​

Leticia Martinez-Cosman went to watch the Seattle Mariners play the Cleveland Guardians last Friday at T-Mobile Park, hours before a source close to the family says her son was lured and attacked in a bizarre series of events.

Martinez-Cosman hasn't been seen since, city police announced Thursday, nearly a week after her disappearance. She is described as standing about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing around 135 pounds. She has green eyes and brown hair.

She was last seen with a man at the game who had been identified and interviewed by detectives, police said.

Seattle police announced that Brett Gitchel, 46, has been arrested on charges of homicide, kidnapping, assault and theft in connection with the case in a news briefing streamed by FOX 13 Seattle Thursday. They had also recovered a vehicle.

They said detectives were still looking into whether he was the same man who went to the Mariners game with Martinez-Cosman.

Gitchel was booked into the King County jail Wednesday evening, records show.

Court documents from a prior case obtained by Fox News Digital show Gitchel is a career criminal, with prior convictions of domestic violence, auto theft, drugs and lying to police.


Around 2 a.m. Friday, her adult son Patrick, who is in his late-20s and has Asperger's syndrome, told family members that a man woke him up in the middle of the night and told him that his mother had been hurt in a fall and that he would take him to see her in the hospital.

"They drove around, made a couple stops," a source close to the family told Fox News Digital Thursday. "Finally he made this excuse to go to the backseat -- and that’s when he put a bag over his head and tried to choke him."

"[Patrick] fought him off, he bit his thumb, honked the horn to wake up the neighbors, had his phone and was calling 911," the source said.

However, Patrick was unable to confirm whether his attacker was the same man pictured in the photo police released.

LETICIA MARTINEZ-COSMAN: Missing from Seattle, WA - 31 March 2023 - Age 58

Martinez-Cosman was last heard from when she went to a Seattle Mariners game with a man she recently met. Martinez-Cosman and the man had met a few weeks ago and the last time she checked in with her family was when she sent a photo of her and...

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

More details at link. Summary below from Facebook.


We obtained new details from Ellensburg police tonight on prior threats he made to set things on fire, burn homes and comments he allegedly made several times that women deserve to be raped.

He had a girlfriend for 7 years.

At one point, he disappeared from his apartment in Ellensburg and went to a hotel in Alexandria where he thought some pool equipment had infected him with nano machines so he was looking for CIA headquarters in Virginia. The secret service was notified.

Police, mental health professionals and addiction specialists have spent a lot of time and resources trying to help him. He has even called 911 for help when he thought someone broke in and stole his Suboxone and earbuds.

Who is Brett Gitchel: Docs detail troubled past of man linked to missing woman

Original police reports obtained by FOX 13 show a series of 911 calls made by, or against, Brett Gitchel— the man arrested in connection to the disappearance of Leticia Martinez.

www.q13fox.com

 

[Mel70]

This crimes done to her and her son are sickening. I wish she would have met him there. I don't understand these crimes at all.

 

[GrandmaBear]

More details at link. Summary below from Facebook.


We obtained new details from Ellensburg police tonight on prior threats he made to set things on fire, burn homes and comments he allegedly made several times that women deserve to be raped.

He had a girlfriend for 7 years.

At one point, he disappeared from his apartment in Ellensburg and went to a hotel in Alexandria where he thought some pool equipment had infected him with nano machines so he was looking for CIA headquarters in Virginia. The secret service was notified.

Police, mental health professionals and addiction specialists have spent a lot of time and resources trying to help him. He has even called 911 for help when he thought someone broke in and stole his Suboxone and earbuds.

Who is Brett Gitchel: Docs detail troubled past of man linked to missing woman

Original police reports obtained by FOX 13 show a series of 911 calls made by, or against, Brett Gitchel— the man arrested in connection to the disappearance of Leticia Martinez.

www.q13fox.com

It could be mental health but it sounds to me like the kind of paranoia the use of some drugs cause.

I still don't understand this one or why she was with him and the more we hear the less I understand it.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Body of Leticia Martinez-Cosman found in Renton, says brother

A body found April 11 in Renton has been identified as Leticia Martinez-Cosman according to the woman’s brother, who confirmed with KIRO 7.

mynorthwest.com

Apr 14, 2023, 11:53 AM | Updated: 12:44 pm
BY FRANK SUMRALL
MyNorthwest Content Editor

A body found April 11 in Renton has been identified as Leticia Martinez-Cosman — who was last seen after a Seattle Mariners game on March 31 — according to the woman’s brother, who confirmed with KIRO Newsradio’s Sam Campbell.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney charged Brett Gitchel, a 46-year-old man, with first-degree attempted murder, among other charges April 11 after allegedly attempting to kill Leticia’s son, Patrick Cosman, on April 2.

Gitchel’s other charges include first-degree kidnapping, unlawful possession of a firearm, first-degree theft, and second-degree arson. The arson charge is related to Seattle firefighters discovering a vehicle “fully engulfed” in flames less than two miles from T-Mobile Park on April 2. The vehicle, a 2016 Honda CRV, was identified as belonging to Martinez-Cosman and was determined to have been torched using an accelerant.

Charging documents described Leticia Martinez-Cosman as a medication-dependent diabetic while also being the primary caregiver for her 24-year-old son with disabilities, furthering the severity of her disappearance.

<snip>
The man has not appeared in court, and bail was not addressed during the hearing on April 7. He remains in jail while awaiting a charging decision from the county prosecutor.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

New details show history of domestic violence orders against man last seen with missing Burien woman

Gitchel has multiple protection orders against him in King County, including one from his own mother. She filed the order back in 2017 and claims that her son threatened to kill her on several occasions, even threatening to bash in her head.

www.kiro7.com

New details show history of domestic violence orders against man last seen with missing Burien woman​

Gitchel has multiple protection orders against him in King County, including one from his own mother. She filed the order back in 2017 and claims that her son threatened to kill her on several occasions, even threatening to bash in her head.

The ending of her written statement reads, “I am too afraid to do anything about him. I am afraid he will kill me. I can’t take it anymore.”

In 1997, a woman who had dated Gitchel also filed a protection order. She told police he threatened to kill her and burn her apartment down if she ever left him. He also demanded to spend time with her son and even threw him down a hallway.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I feel for this family (extra) because I’m sure this is going to be a long, drawn out process with multiple mental health evaluations. Almost guaranteed an insanity plea.

For those wondering about drug use, I’m not sure how accurate this is.

View Document - Washington Criminal Jury Instructions

govt.westlaw.com

Evidence of voluntary intoxication is, by itself, insufficient to justify submitting the defense of insanity to the jury. Chronic addiction to alcohol, by itself, is likewise insufficient. The only time alcohol and drug related insanity may be used as an insanity defense is when the influence of alcohol or drugs triggers an underlying psychotic disorder of a settled nature, such as delirium tremens.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Cause of death revealed for woman last seen at Mariners game; murder charges pending

King County prosecutors plan to add second-degree murder to the list of crimes the suspect, Brett Gitchel, is charged with after the body of Leticia Martinez-Cosman was identified by family on Friday.

www.kiro7.com

Cause of death revealed for woman last seen at Mariners game; murder charges pending​

According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, Martinez-Cosman died on April 1. Her cause of death was due to asphyxiation due to strangulation. It was ruled a homicide.


Martinez said Leticia was a kind and loving person who was full of life. He said he and his family have reflected a lot about the good times they had with her, and while the confirmation that she was dead was not they news they had hoped for, it gives the family closure.

“Yeah, I think it’s starting to hit me right now. But I’m trying to stay focused and get this resolved and then move on with what she had wanted to do,” said Martinez.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Man now charged with murder of Leticia Martinez-Cosman

Brett Gitchel pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and gun and theft charges.

www.kiro7.com

By KIRO 7 News Staff
April 24, 2023 at 12:22 pm PDT

SEATTLE — Brett Gitchel, the man arrested in the death of Leticia Martinez-Cosman, has been charged with her murder.

The two were last seen together at a Mariners game before Martinez-Cosman vanished and was found dead weeks later.

Gitchel appeared in court on Monday, shackled and wearing an orange jumpsuit.

He pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and gun and theft charges. Prosecutors said in addition to killing Martinez-Cosman, Gitchel also set her car on fire and attacked her disabled adult son.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Community gathers to celebrate life of Leticia Martinez-Cosman, victim of homicide

Family and friends celebrated the life of Leticia Martinez-Cosman who was 58 years old when she was killed after attending a Mariners game in April.

komonews.com

Family and friends celebrated the life of Leticia Martinez-Cosman who was 58-years-old when she was killed after attending a Mariners game in April.

Those who went to the celebration of life at the Alki Masonic Center to remember Leticia tell KOMO News she was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. Her siblings looked back at the person she was.

“Her life motto was to embrace life, to take it as it comes regardless of it’s ups and downs," said one of Leticia's sisters.


Gitchel, 46, remains in custody at King County jail on $5,050,000 bail.

 

[Mel70]

That's one of the highest bails I've ever seen. They need to do that for every violent criminal.

 

[GrandmaBear]

That's one of the highest bails I've ever seen. They need to do that for every violent criminal.

I noted that too and remember thinking the $50,000 part was odd but I suppose it is some minutiae of some other charge that merits $50K or some such.

It is one of the highest showing how dangerous he is I guess... Another recent one was 20M and said never asked for before in that county anyhow. Can't recall which one but think it was Doerman wasn't it? The evil cold POS that killed his three sons I think.

 

[Mel70]

I noted that too and remember thinking the $50,000 part was odd but I suppose it is some minutiae of some other charge that merits $50K or some such.

It is one of the highest showing how dangerous he is I guess... Another recent one was 20M and said never asked for before in that county anyhow. Can't recall which one but think it was Doerman wasn't it? The evil cold POS that killed his three sons I think.

That's it. Yes.

 

[Mel70]

I noted that too and remember thinking the $50,000 part was odd but I suppose it is some minutiae of some other charge that merits $50K or some such.

It is one of the highest showing how dangerous he is I guess... Another recent one was 20M and said never asked for before in that county anyhow. Can't recall which one but think it was Doerman wasn't it? The evil cold POS that killed his three sons I think.

In front of the mother. And the stepdaughter got away. Yes.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Suspect in Seattle woman's murder expected in court soon

A man accused of strangling a Seattle woman to death, burning her car, and attempting to murder her son is expected in court later this month.

www.fox13seattle.com

By Will Wixey
Published April 6, 2024 12:22pm PDT

SEATTLE - A man accused of strangling a Seattle woman to death, burning her car, and attempting to murder her son is expected in court later this month.

Brett Gitchel, 46, is accused of murdering 58-year-old Leticia Martinez after she was last seen at a Mariners game on March 31, 2023.

Gitchel was arrested on April 5, 2023, in Shoreline after he reportedly stole $10,000 worth of jewelry from the SoDo Costco.

Gitchel became a suspect in the murder after Martinez sent a photo of the two to her friend from their seats at T-Mobile Park. She went missing the next day, just as Gitchel's phone records showed he drove to a remote area in King County and "stayed there for a short period of time" before driving back to Seattle, according to court documents.

Around 2 a.m. on April 2, 2023, a man woke up Martinez's son and told him his mother had been hurt in a fall and was in the hospital. Martinez's son agreed to go to the hospital with the man, but sometime during the car ride, the man tried to put a bag over Martinez's son's head.

Martinez's son bit the man and was able to get away, but could not confirm if his attacker was Gitchel, though court documents say wounds on Gitchel's hands were consistent with the attack, as he had possible bite marks on his hand.

Several hours later, Martinez's Honda CRV was found burning on the side of the road near Lewis Park and north Beacon Hill.

Martinez was reported missing to the King County Sheriff's Office by her brother later that day after he had not heard from her and learned of her son's attack.

Police claim Gitchel initially denied knowing Martinez or seeing her at the Mariners game, but later admitted that he was at the game with her after being confronted with evidence, specifically the picture of the two together.

On April 11, 2023, Martinez's body was found in the woods in Renton, about one mile from where police found her son after being kidnapped.

Gitchel is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree attempted murder, first-degree theft, second-degree arson, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

He's expected in court on April 18 for a pre-trial hearing, however the King County Prosecutor's Office says this date could be subject to change.