UPDATED: Two Charged in Ryderwood Homicide

Two Centralia residents accused of being involved in a string of burglaries in Centralia were transported to the Cowlitz County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder in the March 18 shooting of a Ryderwood man.

Anthony S. Depuisaye-Greene, 26, has been charged on suspicion of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and Elizabeth A. Rogan, 43, has been charged on suspicion of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery.

By the time of a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon, the two had yet to be charged in the string of burglaries. They were ordered to be held without bail for at least 72 hours, giving the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office time to file charges. Additionally, Judge Joely O’Rourke permitted their transport to Cowlitz County to appear in that jurisdiction for the Ryderwood homicide.

During appearances in Cowlitz County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, Judge Michael Evans ordered Depuisaye-Greene be held without bail. He has an arraignment hearing set for 9 a.m. April 17. Rogan is also being held without bail, but has a hearing to set conditions of release at 3 p.m. April 16.

At 7:21 a.m. March 18, Cowlitz County deputies and medics went to the 500 block of state Route 506 on a call “of a person down in their residence just north of Ryderwood,” reads a press release from the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.

Travis E. Seiber, 47, was located and pronounced dead from a gunshot wound. His death was ruled a homicide.

Depuisaye-Greene and Rogan were named as suspects and taken into custody for the homicide following their arrest Monday by Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) personnel on suspicion of numerous burglaries.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Cowlitz County authorities met with Rogan in Centralia following her arrest. She allegedly told authorities about her involvement in Seiber’s death.

Rogan said she met Seiber through a dating application in 2014. They hadn’t communicated in several years, but reconnected in January, according to court documents. They stopped communicating that same month.

Rogan — Depuisaye-Greene’s girlfriend — said Depuisaye-Greene planned to rob Seiber.

They went to his house near Ryderwood, and Rogan allegedly contacted Seiber at the front door and asked to use the bathroom. She said Depuisaye-Greene wanted her to do it to cause a distraction.

A person — who was also later arrested — told police that Depuisaye-Greene told him the details of the shooting. The witness said Depuisaye-Greene approached the front door after Rogan went inside. Seiber, however, closed and locked the door on him. Depuisaye-Greene allegedly ran to the back of the house to a backdoor, where the two got into a struggle.

Depuisaye-Greene allegedly shot Seiber in the face during the struggle.

Both before and after the shooting, Depuisaye-Greene, Rogan and others were allegedly involved in numerous burglaries in Lewis and Thurston counties.

According to probable cause affidavits filed in Lewis County Superior Court, Depuisaye-Greene allegedly told a witness that he was involved in a burglary at Phantom Tattoo on March 15. On March 17, Lucky No.3 Tattoo, located in the same block of downtown Centralia, was also burglarized. At the time, police Sgt. John Dorff said the burglaries were similar enough that police believed the same people were responsible.

Depuisaye-Greene allegedly showed the witness tattoo guns, ink and a firearm stolen from Phantom Tattoo.

Meanwhile, Rogan admitted to assisting Depuisaye-Greene on several burglaries. However, court documents don’t specify whom she told the information to.

Rogan allegedly said she had helped Depuisaye-Greene during burglaries at Taco’s El Rey and Tower Trading on April 5 and Domino’s Pizza on April 8.

“This witness described acting as a lookout for Anthony Depuisaye-Greene as he burglarized Tower Trading and Taco’s El Rey by standing on the street and monitoring police radio traffic,” read court documents.

She also allegedly sat in the vehicle used to get to and from Domino’s Pizza while it was burglarized.

After Centralia police identified the suspects, members of JNET were tasked with locating them. They executed a search warrant on a residence in the 500 block of South Rock Street in Centralia, where they arrested two subjects on outstanding Department of Corrections warrants. They were: Galen R. Whitmire, 27, of Centralia and Patrick M. Gish, 29, of Winlock.

At the house, police say they found evidence of a string of burglaries not only from Centralia, but Chehalis and Thurston County.

Court documents say authorities recovered stolen property from “Tower Trading, Phantom Tattoo, Boost Mobile, and others.” The stolen handgun was also recovered. The police press release indicates authorities believe the gun may have been used in the commission of a crime in a neighboring county, and court documents indicate it was the same gun used in the Ryderwood shooting.

On Tuesday, JNET made another arrest of a suspect believed to be involved in the rash of burglaries. They arrested Adam I. McGowen, 27, of Centralia on suspicion of three counts of second-degree burglary. Other charges may be filed, according to a press release.

In a probable cause affidavit filed against McGowen, police say they learned in interviews that Gish was allegedly involved with several of the burglaries. Whitmire was named as being involved in one, but charging documents were in places vague on whom was believed to be involved in which burglaries.

Charges against Whitmire and Gish had not been filed as of Wednesday.

Recently, burglaries were reported at businesses at 1:12 p.m. on Saturday in the 200 block of South Tower Avenue; at 9 a.m. on Sunday in the 700 block of North Tower Avenue; at 11:49 a.m. on Sunday, in the 100 block of East High Street; at 4:38 p.m. on Sunday in the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue; at 5:02 p.m. on Sunday in the 400 block of South Tower Avenue; at 5:06 p.m. on Sunday in the 1200 block of Harrison Avenue; at 8:49 a.m. Monday in the 100 block of West Walnut Street; at 12:03 p.m. Monday in the 800 block of Harrison Avenue; at 1:56 a.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Harrison Avenue; and at 1:59 a.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of Harrison Avenue.

McGowen was arrested in Chehalis on Tuesday. He was charged with three counts of second-degree burglary, one count of second-degree malicious mischief and one count of second-degree conspiracy to commit burglary.

During a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, Judge Joely O’Rourke imposed $50,000 bail.

“Centralia Police Chief Carl Nielsen, Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer, and Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza praised the efforts of all of the law enforcement officers involved throughout this investigation and were pleased to not only solve a crime spree that occurred in Lewis County, but directly resulted in the arrest of two homicide suspects from a neighboring jurisdiction,” reads a Centralia police press release.