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]

 

[Kimster]

What a crazy situation!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad the son was able to get away!

 

[Kimster]

Martinez-Cosman’s brother, Ricardo Martinez, tells KIRO 7 he has been searching all over the internet for any sort of clue that can lead to finding his sister. He has also gone to bars near T-Mobile Park and West Seattle with photos of the alleged suspect to see if anyone knows anything about this.

“It’s just been a big roller coaster ride. But I have been trying to keep strong,” Martinez said.

He says he and his sister have a close relationship, and that she would periodically come over to his home just to say hi.

“Just early morning breakfasts on Saturday and take long walks on the beach,” Martinez said. “She’s just full of energy and full of life.”

He said given the amount of research he has done, he believes the man arrested Thursday in connection to his sister’s disappearance was with her at the Mariners game last Friday. He also believes the two met a month prior to the game outside a Seattle grocery store.

“It’s something that we just do. And you have to keep on ... you just gotta keep focused,” Martinez said.

He says after Thursday’s arrest, he and family are holding on to hope about finding Leticia.

“At this point, he’s got all the answers and we are just waiting for ... to find my sister,” Martinez said.

The Seattle Police Department confirmed with KIRO 7 that Martinez-Cosman’s disappearance is being investigated as a missing persons case, along with the King County Sheriff’s Office.

She is 58 years old, 135 pounds, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with green eyes and brown hair.

KIRO 7 talked with Mariners fans leaving Wednesday’s game who said this is shocking and that the stadium should be a safe place.

Police arrest suspect as search for woman who disappeared after Mariners game last week continues

A 46-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the disappearance of a Seattle woman who has been missing since late last week.

www.yahoo.com

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Brett Gitchel, Seattle Kidnapping Suspect: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Brett Gitchel is a Seattle man arrested in connection to the disappearance of 58-year-old Leticia Martinez, who went missing after a date at a Mariners game on March 31, 2023.

heavy.com

Brett Gitchel, Seattle Kidnapping Suspect: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know​

The 46-year-old Gitchel was booked into the King County Jail on April 6, 2023, on suspicion of homicide, kidnapping, assault and theft, according to online records.

1. Leticia Martinez-Cosman’s Son Says a Man Woke Him Up the Night His Mother Vanished​

Sources close to Leticia Martinez-Cosman’s family told Fox News that her adult son, Patrick, who is in his 20s and has autism, was woken up early in the morning of April 1, 2023, hours after his mother went to the Seattle Mariners game against the Cleveland Guardians, by a strange man. He was “lured and attacked in a bizarre series of events,” according to Fox News.

Martinez-Cosman’s son told his family the man said his mother had been hurt in a fall and he would take him to see her at the hospital, according to Fox News. The source told FOx News, “They drove around, made a couple stops. 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.”


Officer Shawn Weismiller, a Seattle Police spokesman, said a press conference, “The detectives are following up on that. We are not ready to confirm he is in fact the same individual. There will be more information to follow as soon as we can provide it. … This is an open investigation and the details regarding the investigation are going to come out as soon as we have them available.”

2. Brett Michael Gitchel Is Being Held Without Bail​

Brett Michael Gitchel is being held at the King County Jail without bond, according to online records viewed by Heavy. He was arrested on April 5, 2023, and booked into jail on April 6 just after 7 a.m., online records show.

When asked why police suspect murder, Weismiller said at the press conference, “I’m not going to go into the specific details in how the detectives and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office came to that conclusion, but I can say that based on their investigations, based on the evidence, they have deemed that they have probable cause to arrest that suspect.”

3. Brett Gitchel Has 7 Previous Felony & 9 Gross Misdemeanor Convictions, Including on Theft & Assault Charges, According to Public Records​

According to police and online court records, Brett Gitchel has a lengthy criminal history, including seven previous felony convictions and nine gross misdemeanor convictions. His most recent arrest was in 2013.

Gitchel was previously convicted in 1998 on a felony drug charge, two counts of felony theft in 1993 and a felony charge of vehicle prowl in 1992, court records show. He was convicted of misdemeanor charges of drawing with a suspended license, making a false statement to a public servent, DUI, domestic violence assault, theft and malicious mischief, according to court records.

Police are investigating whether there is a connection to a surveillance video showing a man prowling in a yard in the Genesee Hill neighborhood of Seattle. The video, recorded March 28, 2023, was posted by the West Seattle Blog.

The man is wearing a Seattle Mariners jacket and looks similar to the man seen in the photo with Martinez-Cosman at the Mariners game. His appearance is also similar to mugshots and social media photos of Gitchel, but police have not confirmed if it is Gitchel in the surveillance video.

4. Brett Gitchel Lives in Ellensburg, Washington & Is Originally From Renton, Washington, According to His Facebook​

According to his Facebook profile, Brett Gitchel lives in Ellensburg, Washington, and is originally from Renton, Washington. Gitchel’s Twitter profile also shows that he is an Ellensburg resident.

5. Gitchel Said on His Facebook Page He Works as a Bus Driver for a Nonprofit​

According to his Facebook page, Gitchel has worked as a bus driver for a nonprofit in Kittias County.

In January 2023, Gitchel was sued by his landlord in a tenant dispute case in Kittias County, according to court records.

 

[kdg411]

Is there any MSM regarding the son's care since his primary caregiver is missing? I just hope he's in a safe space.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Court documents reveal more about the man arrested in murder of Seattle woman

A man arrested in connection with the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman did not admit to being at the Mariners game with her until detectives showed him the selfie she took, according to court documents. Brett Gitchel is also suspected in a $10,000 jewelry theft from a Seattle Costco.

www.q13fox.com

Court documents reveal more about disappearance of Seattle woman as kidnapping suspect appears in court​

Gitchel made his first appearance in court on April 7 and pleaded not guilty.

Seattle Police Martinez-Cosman's vehicle was found on fire on April 2 just before 7 a.m. near Lewis Park on Golf Drive S. in North Beacon Hill.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office also confirmed that the man in the photo with Martinez-Cosman is Gitchel.


According to court documents, Martinez-Cosman's friend and brother received texts from her phone on April 1. Both the friend and her brother said that the messages seemed "odd and uncharacteristic" of Martinez-Cosman. Police have not yet been able to identify who sent those messages.

Hours before she was reported missing on April 2, her adult son told family members that a man had woken 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 the hospital to see her, according to court documents.


Two days after she was reported missing, on April 4, the Costco in Seattle had reported a theft worth $10,000 of jewelry. This is the same Costco that Martinez-Cosman had met Gitchel at weeks before, according to court documents.

Court documents say surveillance footage captured the suspect and vehicle. The footage matched Gitchel's appearance and his tan 1999 Audi A6 with his license plate.

Gitchel was arrested at the Shoreline Costco.


When he was being interrogated, he denied knowing Martinez-Cosman and said he hadn't been to a Mariners game all year. He then later said he knew of her and had seen her around Costco before, according to court documents. When he was shown the photo of him and Martinez-Cosman at the Mariners game, he admitted to being there but said she left the game with someone else, court documents said.

Police said he had multiple cuts, bruises and scrapes on his body that appeared to be several days old. Detectives also observed apparent blood on the inside of his right shoe, according to court documents.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Is there any MSM regarding the son's care since his primary caregiver is missing? I just hope he's in a safe space.

I have not seen anything. It seems like at least some of their family (her brother) is in the local area, so hopefully he's staying with them.
That whole experience must have been (and still be) so traumatic for him.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Man arrested in connection to woman's disappearance accused of kidnapping her son

The man arrested in connection to the disappearance of a woman who was last seen at the Seattle Mariners game on March 31 attempted to kidnap her son.

komonews.com

Man arrested in connection to woman's disappearance accused of kidnapping her son
The man arrested in connection to the disappearance of a woman who was last seen at the Seattle Mariners game on March 31 attempted to kidnap her son and allegedly set her vehicle on fire, according to court documents released Friday.

After Martinez-Cosman was reported missing, her friend provided the selfie photo to police, along with text messages that were sent from Martinez-Cosman's phone the morning of April 1. Court documents say one message from Martinez-Cosman's phone said she was leaving the game the night before and ran into an old boyfriend and ended up hanging out with him all night. Martinez-Cosman was scheduled to babysit the night of April 1 but sent a text canceling it.

Investigators in court documents said while the texts were sent from Martinez-Cosman's phone, "the author of the messages cannot be verified." Multiple attempts to call Martinez-Cosman's phone went unanswered and eventually, the phone appeared to be turned off.

Martinez-Cosman's brother, Ricardo Martinez, reported her as a missing person to the King County Sheriff's Office on April 2.

Martinez-Cosman lives with her adult son, who has been diagnosed with autism, Aspergers, and OCD, according to court documents. The son lives at home but due to his conditions, he rarely leaves their home and has limited contact with others.

The son told police that on April 2 at 2 a.m. he was awoken by the sound of a man knocking on his bedroom door inside the home. He thought the man was a neighbor. He wasn't able to give a detailed description due to his disability, but said the man was white, in his 30s-40s, had facial hair and wore glasses. The man was also wearing a hooded sweatshirt and COVID-style face mask, according to the son.


Gitchel did not appear in court Friday and his bail was not addressed. He remains in the King County jail and the investigation into Martinez-Cosman's disappearance is ongoing.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

TIMELINE: What we know so far about the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman

Detectives are continuing to look for 58-year-old Leticia Martinez-Cosman, who was last seen with a man at a Seattle Mariners game on March 31.

www.q13fox.com

Timeline of events leading up to her disappearance​

March 19​

Martinez-Cosman meets Gitchel at the Seattle Costco in SoDo. The two appear to exchange numbers. Martinez-Cosman had a friend with her at that time.

March 31​

5 p.m: Phone records used to trace Martinez-Cosman's phone indicated that she had been in the same location as the phone number associated with Gitchel's phone.

7 p.m: Martinez-Cosman texts a photo of her and Gitchel at the Mariners game to a friend.

April 1​

Sometime in the morning: A friend gets text messages from Martinez-Cosman's phone. One message from ‘from Leticia’s phone to [friend] said that she was leaving the game the night before' and that 'Leticia had run into an old boyfriend and ended up hanging out with him all night."

6:30 p.m: Martinez-Cosman's phone texted that friend again saying she was "ok and was babysitting."

6:30 p.m: Martinez-Cosman's phone texts the person she was supposed to babysit for, canceling it.

Martinez-Cosman's brother also got messages from her phone on April 1. He said the texts were "odd and uncharacteristic of Leticia."

Prosecutor Chris Anderson said in court on April 7 that phone data also showed him "driving to a remote mountainous region of King County on April 1," though it was not specified where.

April 2​

2 a.m: Martinez-Cosman's son woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his bedroom door (from inside the house). He did not recognize the man, but believed he may have been a neighbor. The man told him that his mother had been hurt in a fall and that he could take him to the hospital to see her.

4 a.m: Sometime during the car ride, the man parked the vehicle and tried to put a bag over Martinez-Cosman's son's head in an effort to choke him. The man then used his forearm, when that didn't work.

It was around 4 a.m. that people nearby (the son had been driven to Renton) heard a horn honking multiple times, which turned out to be the son's head hitting the steering wheel during the altercation. Martinez-Cosman's son was able to escape and the man drove off. He was not able to confirm whether his attacker was Gitchel. It's unclear if he had even met Gitchel before.

6:16 a.m: Phone records indicate Martinez-Cosman's phone was close to Gitchel's.

6:39 a.m: Martinez-Cosman's Honda CRV is found burning on the side of the road near Lewis Park in north Beacon Hill. She was not inside. Court documents say the fire appeared to have been intentionally set from the passenger side.

Prosecutor Chris Anderson said in court on April 7 that Gitchel's phone had pinged where Martinez-Cosman's car was burned. Gitchel's defense attorney Dylan Johnson argued that "that type of information is not capable of geo-locating a phone with a great deal of precision." Johnson said the data used to "ping" the phones indicates being in the general vicinity of the ping, rather than an exact location like GPS.

1 p.m: Martinez-Cosman is reported missing to the King County Sheriff's Office by her brother. He called deputies after not hearing from her and after hearing her son tell him about his attack earlier that day.

April 4​

The SoDO Costco reported a theft of $10,000 worth of jewelry. This was the same Costco where Martinez-Cosman had met. Surveillance at that Costco captured footage of the jewelry suspect and recorded his license plate and car. According to court documents, the suspect was Gitchel and 1999 tan Audi A6 seen on camera was identified as his, with the plates to match.

April 5​

7:08 p.m: Security at a Costco in Shoreline recognized Gitchel from the theft the day before. Court documents say he was wearing the same clothes as the previous day. Gitchel was taken into custody.

Gitchel initially told officers that he did not have a phone or a car at the Costco he was at, though a search warrant later found his car in the parking lot and his phone inside the car, according to court documents.

During questioning, when asked about his activities within the last week, Gitchel told officers that he had gone to Ellensburg on April 2 but other than that had been in the Seattle area.


Prosecutors argued they have probable cause to charge him with:

• Attempted murder
• First-degree kidnapping
• Second-degree assault
• First-degree theft
• Fourth-degree assault
• Unlawful possession of a firearm

The charges may change as police gather more evidence.

 

[Kimster]

What makes a petty criminal turn into a killer? And then to go back and try to kill her son? I think there’s a lot more in his past that we don’t know about.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Docs: Suspect in Leticia Martinez's disappearance 'tried to murder her son' before torching her car

"There is no doubt that he has information regarding her disappearance, he tried to murder her son, a witness to her disappearance, and has destroyed evidence by burning Leticia's vehicle after his failed plan to kill her son," according to charging documents.

www.q13fox.com

Docs: Suspect in Leticia Martinez's disappearance 'tried to murder her son' before torching her car​

Newly released charging documents further detail what may have led up to the disappearance of Leticia Martinez. The suspect arrested in connection to her disappearance has also been officially linked to her son's kidnapping, according to court documents.


Court documents say Gitchel was that man. He had wounds on his hands that look to be scabbed or bite marks. It's unclear if a warrant has been issued for a DNA sample to see if the wounds were caused by her son fighting back.

Phone records determined that Gitchel was in the same area at the same time where Martinez's son had reported the attack, according to court documents.

On that same day, around 6:40 a.m., Martinez's Honda CRV that she took to the Mariners game that day was found burning on the side of the road near Lewis Park and north Beacon Hill. She was not inside. Court documents say the fire appeared to have been intentionally set from the passenger side and that an "unknown accelerant was used."

According to newly released court documents, Gitchel was seen on surveillance footage buying a red one-gallon portable gas container at a Shell gas station on Beacon Ave. S. In a separate transaction at the same gas station, Gitchel purchased a lighter and also filled the container with fuel at the pump.

Surveillance footage indicates that Gitchel purchased the gas container and lighter around 6 a.m. the same day Martinez's car was found burned.

The Shell gas station he was seen in footage buying the gas canister is less than a mile away from where Martinez's car was found, according to Google Maps.

Prosecutor Chris Anderson also said in court on April 7 that Gitchel's phone had pinged where Martinez' car was burned.

"There is no doubt that he has information regarding her disappearance, he tried to murder her son, a witness to her disappearance, and has destroyed evidence by burning Leticia's vehicle after his failed plan to kill her son," documents said.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm sorry but another total idiot who left an easy trail.

I AM sorry for the victims of this evil idiot.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Police: Investigation into missing woman leads to recovery of unidentified body in Renton

Seattle police say the investigation into missing woman Leticia Martinez-Cosman — who was last seen at a Mariners game — has resulted in the recovery of an unidentified body.

www.kiro7.com

By KIRO 7 News Staff
April 12, 2023 at 6:07 am PDT

RENTON, Wash. — Seattle police detectives say their investigation into Leticia Martinez-Cosman — the missing King County woman who was last seen at a Mariners game — has resulted in the recovery of a body.

Detectives say the body was recovered Tuesday afternoon in the Renton area.

The person has not been identified. Police said the King County Medical Examiner’s Office will confirm their identity, cause of death and how the person died.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Seattle police find body in Renton woods while searching for missing woman Leticia Martinez

Seattle Police say investigators found a body believed to be connected to the disappearance of Seattle woman Leticia Martinez, who was last seen March 31 at a Mariners game.

www.q13fox.com

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published April 12, 2023 5:42AM
Updated 5:51AM

RENTON, Wash. - Seattle Police say investigators found a body believed to be connected to the disappearance of Seattle woman Leticia Martinez, who was last seen March 31 at a Mariners game.

Police will not confirm that it is Martinez' body, but say the remains were found in a wooded area between Talbot Rd. and State Route 167 in Renton. Homicide detectives were following leads that took them to that area Tuesday afternoon.

That is about one mile from where police found her son Patrick Cosman, who investigators say was taken by the man she went to the Seattle Mariners game with.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Seattle police recover body while investigating disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman

Seattle police recovered a body in Renton after following multiple leads related to the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman.

komonews.com

by Taylor Corlew, KOMO News Staff
Wed, April 12th 2023, 2:45 AM EDT

<snip>

According to court documents, Gitchel told the son that his mother had been in an accident and that he was going to take him to see her at the hospital. The two got into a vehicle described as an SUV and the son said they drove for "what seemed like hours," until the man stopped the vehicle saying he needed to get some water, according to court documents.

The son told police the man then got back into the vehicle in the seat behind him and tried to cover his face and neck with an "unknown material," and that he thought the man was "trying to kill him by smothering or strangling him," court documents say. Martinez-Cosman's son is over 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, and in good physical shape, court documents state, so he was able to overpower the man and get free and a fight ensued between the two inside the passenger area of the vehicle.

The man tried to strangle the son with his forearm on his neck and at some point, he was able to bite the man on the hand, causing him to bleed on his face, court documents say.

The son was able to get out of the vehicle and call 911. He was connected to a Renton Police Department dispatcher. While he was on the phone, the man got into the vehicle and drove off. The son hid in a residential yard nearby until Renton officers were able to make contact with him.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

@kdg411

Is there any MSM regarding the son's care since his primary caregiver is missing? I just hope he's in a safe space.

Extended family has started a Go Fund Me to raise money for his ongoing care. Not a lot of details.
(Not posting the link to solicit funds. Just sharing.)

Help For Leticia Martinez Cosman's Son, Patrick, organized by Amy Cosman

I am Patrick Cosman’s aunt. On March 31, 2023, his mother, Leticia Martine… Amy Cosman needs your support for Help For Leticia Martinez Cosman's Son, Patrick

www.gofundme.com

While we are attempting to protect Patrick's privacy as much as possible, as has been reported in the media, Patrick has special needs and needs full-time care. Letty was his caretaker, and his life has been turned upside down.

The family is raising money to pay for Patrick's on-going care. Patrick will have extensive physical and mental health needs in the days and months ahead and we cannot do it alone.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Seattle police recover body while investigating disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman

Seattle police recovered a body in Renton after following multiple leads related to the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman.

kpic.com

The body was reportedly found in a ditch on the side of a road in a cul-de-sac in a remote part of Renton.

The area is about a mile away from where Martinez-Cosman’s 24-year-old son escaped a kidnapping days after his mother was last seen.

Cadaver dogs found her remains in a wooded area between Talbot Rd S and 167 in Renton after detectives used Brett Gitchel’s cell phone tracking data to search for areas he traveled where she may have been left.

There were no obvious signs of how she was killed according to my sources.

The scene was processed for several hours for evidence.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

He's also now been charged with a breakin he was suspected of. He is not bright.

Man charged with burglarizing home 4 days before Seattle woman disappeared

The man suspected in the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman has been charged in a home burglary case that occurred only four days before she disappeared.

komonews.com

KOMO News learned the man suspected in the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman has been charged in a home burglary case that occurred only four days before she was reported missing.

At 11:45 p.m. on Monday, March 27, Brett Michael Gitchel was recorded on a home security system breaking into a backyard in the 4100 block of 54th Avenue SW in West Seattle, according to newly-released court papers.

Upon entering the backyard, prosecutors said that Gitchel appeared to notice the security camera and promptly exited the property and went into a back alleyway. Moments later, authorities wrote that Gitchel then returned to the yard with his face covered. According to court papers, Gitchel appeared to wear the same clothes throughout the break-in, including the jacket and hat that matched the clothes worn in the selfie taken by Martinez-Cosman four days later.

Prosecutors said that Gitchel then started to manipulate the security cameras to alter their field of view before ultimately deciding to remove the cameras altogether. According to court documents, the remaining camera captured a clear image of Gitchel, including an unobscured image of his face. Prosecutors said Gitchel then ripped the remaining camera out of its socket.

Afterward, prosecutors believe Gitchel tried to enter the back door of the home, but he discovered it was locked. They said Gitchel then stole a clock hanging outside a garden shed, as well as a $380 backpack blower. According to court documents, Gitchel also stole a pair of shears and appeared to attempt to pry open a backyard shed.



In addition to attempted murder, kidnapping, and arson charges, prosecutors have now charged Gitchel with Burglary In The Second Degree. Bail has been set at $50,000 in relation to the home burglary case. That's in addition to $5 million bail for the charges related to Martinez-Cosman's disappearance.

 

[GrandmaBear]

He's also now been charged with a breakin he was suspected of. He is not bright.

Man charged with burglarizing home 4 days before Seattle woman disappeared

The man suspected in the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman has been charged in a home burglary case that occurred only four days before she disappeared.

komonews.com

KOMO News learned the man suspected in the disappearance of Leticia Martinez-Cosman has been charged in a home burglary case that occurred only four days before she was reported missing.

At 11:45 p.m. on Monday, March 27, Brett Michael Gitchel was recorded on a home security system breaking into a backyard in the 4100 block of 54th Avenue SW in West Seattle, according to newly-released court papers.

Upon entering the backyard, prosecutors said that Gitchel appeared to notice the security camera and promptly exited the property and went into a back alleyway. Moments later, authorities wrote that Gitchel then returned to the yard with his face covered. According to court papers, Gitchel appeared to wear the same clothes throughout the break-in, including the jacket and hat that matched the clothes worn in the selfie taken by Martinez-Cosman four days later.

Prosecutors said that Gitchel then started to manipulate the security cameras to alter their field of view before ultimately deciding to remove the cameras altogether. According to court documents, the remaining camera captured a clear image of Gitchel, including an unobscured image of his face. Prosecutors said Gitchel then ripped the remaining camera out of its socket.

Afterward, prosecutors believe Gitchel tried to enter the back door of the home, but he discovered it was locked. They said Gitchel then stole a clock hanging outside a garden shed, as well as a $380 backpack blower. According to court documents, Gitchel also stole a pair of shears and appeared to attempt to pry open a backyard shed.



In addition to attempted murder, kidnapping, and arson charges, prosecutors have now charged Gitchel with Burglary In The Second Degree. Bail has been set at $50,000 in relation to the home burglary case. That's in addition to $5 million bail for the charges related to Martinez-Cosman's disappearance.

Well I think I said earlier this man is an idiot that left trails everywhere, easy, simple ones. It feels like something is missing. Do we have mental issues here, is he a meth head, or what the heck is the deal? Same clothing, stealing what he could, being stupid with the cameras and yet kept at it, etc. Doesn't even sound like a guy who would be at a Mariners game was it? Sounds like someone homeless or a drug addict or some such.

This one just isn't making sense to me yet. And why kill her and then take the son? Was he hoping to take their things, live in their house, etc.? I can only guess chunks of this story are missing as to how they knew each other, IF they knew each other well, how this all came to be and a lot more. Was she just helping someone down on their luck maybe? No idea on this one.