Suspect in November Tacoma double homicide now charged with third killing in September
Paul Michael Harrison Snider was already a suspect in a 2022 double homicide when he was charged Wednesday for a third, unrelated homicide that occurred before last November’s killings.
Snider, 28, was charged with first-degree murder for the Sept. 4 shooting death of Jeaneane Mattis, 58.
Previously, Snider was charged with the shooting deaths of Juan Tinajera Ruvalcaba, 29, and Jose Lopez Cano, 38. Snider faces two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm for those crimes.
Both victims were shot in the head.
September killing
Charging papers filed Wednesday in the Mattis homicide gave the following account.
Tacoma police officers were called to the scene of a shooting shortly after midnight on Sept. 4 in the 3700 block of South Cedar Street. That’s where they found Mattis lying in a pool of blood behind a medical clinic.
Detectives soon located a witness near the scene. The witness told police that earlier that evening he had been hanging out with Mattis and another man next to her trailer. That’s when a car pulled up, driven by LaShaun D. Miles. Miles was looking for a man nicknamed “Taco” who resided in a trailer adjacent to Mattis’ trailer.
Taco wasn’t in his trailer and Miles returned to his vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Snider, who was a passenger in Miles’ car, got out and began “acting very agitated,” according to the witness.
The witness retreated to his vehicle but could hear Mattis yelling at Snider to leave the area. Snider pulled out a gun and held it to Mattis’ head. Eventually, he returned to Miles’ car with Mattis still yelling at him.
The witness then believed he heard Miles tell Snider to “shoot her.” Snider returned to Mattis and shot her once in the head.
Snider then returned to Miles’ car and they left.
Detectives were able to identify Miles and caught up with him during a traffic stop on Sept. 13. During questioning, Miles said he had met Snider earlier that day. He said he was in his car and not paying attention when Snider shot Mattis.
“He asked Paul why he shot the lady and Paul told him it was because she was talking too much,” the charging papers said.
Miles said he dropped Snider off and went home. Miles is a co-defendant in the shooting.
Bail was set at $2.5 million for Snider, who resides at an address in Lakewood, according to the charging papers.
Double homicide
Snider is accused of killing the two men at a trailer parked near the 8000 block of South Hosmer Street on Nov. 21. According to charging documents, surveillance videos showed a suspect entering the trailer at about 3:12 a.m. and leaving at about 6:17 a.m.
The suspect is then seen walking west on South 80th Street to another trailer. Detectives found Snider there with a female, records state. Detectives observed what looked like blood on Snider’s pants, and he was wearing the same clothing that the suspect was seen wearing on surveillance.
Snider was arrested just hours after Tacoma police announced the homicides.
A motive in the shootings remains unclear, and it’s unknown whether Snider knew the victims.
