A 47-year-old Tenino woman accused of conspiring to commit murder is being held in the Thurston County jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
Tabitha Ramsey Gibson attended her preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Monday. Deputies arrested her Friday afternoon in connection to an April 16 fatal shooting at Old Highway 99 Company Bar and Grill near Offut Lake.
Gaylord Travis Sayers of Olympia, 56, died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the torso, Coroner Gary Warnock told The Olympian. Bar patrons restrained Curtis Gilbert Gibson, husband to Tabitha Gibson, at the scene. The patrons reportedly told law enforcement Curtis Gibson shot Sayers during an altercation with members of a motorcycle club.
Deputies initially arrested Tabitha and Curtis Gibson at the scene, but Tabitha Gibson was let go before she could appear in court. The Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged Curtis Gibson with first-degree premeditated murder on April 18 while detectives continued investigating the incident.
Court records show a detective reviewed video footage from a dash camera in Curtis Gibson's vehicle on May 2. Based on audio from the footage, the detective alleges Tabitha Gibson planned a homicide with Curtis Gibson.
Judge John Skinder found probable cause for the alleged crime of first-degree conspiring to commit murder and set the bail amount. In doing so, he determined there's a likelihood Tabitha Gibson may commit a violent offense if released without conditions.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Scida requested bail be set at $1 million. He alleged the pair left the bar, went to a different bar and then returned to the initial bar where the shooting took place after discussing committing murder.
Patrick O'Connor, director of Thurston County Public Defense, represented Tabitha Gibson on Monday. He argued against Skinder finding probable cause and called the information in the probable cause statement, "scant."
"Even taking those statements at face value, your honor, I don't believe they are sufficient, even for probable cause to meet the elements of conspiracy..." O'Connor said.
When it came time for Skinder to decide conditions of release, O'Connor said he did not have the opportunity to review the video described in the probable cause statement. However, he said Gibson has shared with him a "a very divergent set of facts" about the incident.
O'Connor said Gibson is indigent, has no prior criminal history and should be presumed innocent at this phase. Given all that, he asked Skinder to release her on her personal recognizance or at least set reasonable bail at $10,000.
"This case has a lot of moving parts and what we've only been shown so far in this probable cause statement are snapshots of the entire story," O'Connor said. "I think there's a lot more to this incident."
What did the probable cause statement say?
The probable cause statement describes the investigation into the shooting from the perspective of law enforcement.
The dash camera footage showed Curtis and Tabitha Gibson drive up to Old Highway 99 Company Bar and Grill to have a drink. They later get back into the vehicle amid a "verbal disturbance" with Sayers, according to the statement.
As the pair drive away, Curtis Gibson allegedly says, "It's a good thing I didn't have my gun on me."
The statement notes the audio is distorted; however, the detective reviewing it alleges Tabitha Gibson says, "We should (expletive) kill all of 'em." Shortly afterwards, she allegedly says, "I think we just shoot 'em babe."
At one point, Tabitha Gibson allegedly asked Curtis Gibson to use his fingerprint to open a lockbox. Curtis Gibson tells her to "close it up." A few moments later, he adds, "Put the (expletive) gun away," according to the statement.
The conversation allegedly continues as follows.
"I don't want to touch it," Tabitha Gibson says.
"Then stop (expletive) playing with it like some (expletive) toy," Curtis Gibson says. "It's not a (expletive) toy."
"No." Tabitha Gibson says.
"When it gets pulled somebody dies," Curtis Gibson says.
"Yeah," Tabitha Gibson says.
"That's it. That's it. Hold your (expletive) together," Curtis Gibson says. "When it gets pulled out somebody dies. And you better be on the right?"
"I don't know if I'm being in the right or wrong but I'm gonna be on the right," Tabitha Gibson says.
"They know who we were," Curtis Gibson says. "That dude was pressed."
The pair travel to another bar and later return to Old Highway 99 Company Bar and Grill. The statement alleges Curtis pulls into the parking lot and "accelerates rapidly toward the motorcycles."
Sayers reportedly tells Curtis Gibson to return to his car multiple times and not grab anything. Curtis Gibson allegedly responds with "You're all (expletive)."
Tabitha Gibson then exits the vehicle and walks across the front of the car, per the statement. Then the first gunshot is heard. Two more gunshots are heard before someone says, "Somebody help me." Then a fourth gunshot is heard.
Afterwards, Curtis Gibson allegedly tells others to kill him multiple times and says, "You (expletive) brought this on yourselves."
Someone then says, "She's got the gun," multiple times before a fifth gunshot is heard.
The video reportedly ends with Curtis Gibson back in frame with blood on the left side of his face. Tabitha Gibson walks over to him and wipes his face with her hands.
Curtis Gibson pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder on April 30. He remains in the Thurston County jail pending a jury trial or other resolution to his case.
If charged, Tabitha Gibson must return to court for her arraignment hearing on May 21.
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