Western Washington man accused in manslaughter of a Spokane woman after her remains were found in a ravine, records say
Jul. 5—A Western Washington man told police differing stories about how a 29-year-old Spokane woman's body ended up in a ravine in May, court records say.
Mason County sheriff's deputies on Wednesday arrested Joshua Morris, 43, on suspicion of manslaughter in connection to the death of Joanna Saunders, whose remains were found last month in an embankment inside a wooded area near Schafer State Park, close to a gravel pit. Employees with the gravel pit company noticed a decomposition smell coming from the embankment and notified police when they found a woman's body, court records say.
Deputies initially noted Saunders had trauma to her forehead and neck and did not have any scratches on her feet, indicating she did not walk or run to the location where she was discovered, court records say. Her cause of death has not been determined.
Deputies also found her discarded personal items 20 miles from where she was found, a news release from the sheriff's office said.
The last time Saunders was seen alive was in late May when she left a Skokomish casino with Morris. In surveillance footage, she is wearing the same clothing in which she was found, according to court records.
When law enforcement identified Morris and went to speak with him, he told them he gave Saunders a ride to an Olympia bus stop in May and hadn't seen her since. A Mason County Sheriff's Office detective compared cell phone records of Saunders and Morris and found the two never traveled to Olympia, but rather drove in the direction of Morris' house.
On Wednesday, Morris reportedly texted a detective on the case and said he "woke up and she was gone," but that she was somewhat responsive outside his car. When law enforcement interviewed him further, he explained the two left the casino and parked near the gravel pit to rest for the night. He fell asleep in the driver's seat, and Saunders was in the passenger seat, he said in court records. When Morris woke up, he told police Saunders was slumped over with a needle in her arm.
"It should be noted, Morris provided several versions of what occurred next," court records say. He initially claimed Saunders had rolled into a nearby embankment, then later said he had moved her body from the passenger seat of his car.
Morris did not attempt any first aid and did not contact emergency authorities. He also admitted to dumping Saunders' belongings and claimed he could not bear to look at them, according to court records.
In his first court appearance on Friday, Morris claimed he knew his rights and wanted to plead guilty without an attorney despite no charges being filed as of Friday. He appeared very emotional, bowing his head and crying as the judge spoke. According to state prosecutors, his criminal record includes eight active warrants and over 60 failures to appear in court.
The court set his bail at $25,000 and scheduled his next hearing for July 15th with a court-appointed attorney. Saunders is estranged from her family, court records say, but social media indicates she has a young daughter.
Virginia Carr's reporting is part of the Teen Journalism Institute, funded by Bank of America with support from the Innovia Foundation.
