KIRO-TV: SPD investigating body found at Mike Webb's Queen Anne home

[flamingyouth]

http://www.kirotv.com/news/13591684/detail.html

SEATTLE -- Seattle Police were at the home of missing radio host Mike Webb Thursday afternoon conducting what they call a “death investigation.”

Webb, a former KIRO radio late-night talk show host has been missing for two months, according to his family and friends.

According to police, the homeowner discovered a badly decomposed body inside the house.

In early June, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News spoke with Webb’s friend and former producer Jeremy Grater who was deeply concerned about Webb’s whereabouts.

“It’s disturbing; we’re all very concerned about him. I’m worried about him. It’s not like him to disappear for this long and to just take off like that,” Grater, said.

Webb’s rented Queen Anne house is posted with notice to pay rent or quit the premises, and it appears Webb hasn’t been there in months, leaving all his possessions and clothing behind, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Karen O’Leary reported on June 14.

:(

[The empressof all]

1. That does not sound good.....Here's the link

Here's the link:

http://www.kirotv.com/news/13591684/detail.html

[youngdem]

2. You would have thought they would have looked at his HOUSE before two months had passed

But maybe that's just me.

:shrug:

[flamingyouth]

3. The police erected a tent outside, at least that's what they showed on the news.

But yes, that thought obviously occurred to me as well.

On edit - a detective just told KIRO that someone from the police was in there two weeks ago and found nothing.

The body is so badly decomposed they can't establish gender or race or anything, calling death suspicious.

[regnaD kciN]

8. According to his website...

...police had searched the place several times since May 14th, and found nothing.

Now, six weeks later, they find a body?

The mystery continues...at the very least, this sounds like either someone moved a body into the house in the past few days, or else the SPD is incredibly incompetent.

[SeattleGirl]

10. I was thinking the same thing, regnaD.

I tend to tilt toward the "body moved into the house" theory, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

If the body WAS in the house the whole time, how could someone NOT smell something?

[flamingyouth]

13. Either of those options is frightening.

Some twisted freak kept a rapidly decomposing corpse around (yikes) or the SPD is so incredibly incompetent they can't find a body in a house? My partner suggested the former last night, though.

[montanacowboy]

4. Mike Webb had a great liberal radio talk show

I used to listen to him all the time and met him at a Howard Dean Rally. He had a bad run in a few years ago with people who beat the shit out of him at Dick's drive in.

[lordsummerisle]

5. This is f***king sickening...

Mike was my first radio hero.

Mike was my introduction to progressive radio...he was the main reason I even listened to the goddamn radio at all. He was honest, he was passionate, he saw the Bush administration early on for what it was, he was entertaining, he had the greatest guests...

He made a big mistake and it cost him his job and it was all downhill from there...

I'm so pissed off I can't see straight.

[SeattleGirl]

6. That sonds so bad.

I loved listening to Mike Webb. He absolutely pulled no punches (Mike Mallow reminds me of Mike Webb).

[regnaD kciN]

7. And now Seattle, one of the most liberal cities in the U.S....

...is without a single local liberal radio host. Oh, sure, we've got AAR (to counterbalance the two all-right-wing-all-the-time stations) bringing in voices from elsewhere, but the tradition of local progressives that ran from John Hinterburger to Bill Gallant to Erin Hart to Mike Webb is gone and unlikely to be resurrected.

Oh, well, I guess I'll go listen to the Jon Elliot show on KPTK -- isn't there something sick about there being progressive radio talk hosts in San Diego, but not in Seattle?

[SeattleGirl]

9. God, I miss Erin too!

I listened to her show every weekend, and loved it. Got to meet her once and chat with her for a bit. Wonderful woman. She's a fighter, and I think she may once again surface somewhere. I just wish she were still on the air here.

[eridani]

11. Maybe we should campaign to have AAR have local hosts--

--at least on weekends.

[RJRoss]

12. KIRO radio

For a couple years, before I started listening to KPTK, I would listen to Erin and Mike in the evening when I worked in my garage. They really opened my eyes to the criminality of the Bush administration. I miss both of their voices, and am saddened by the apparent loss of Mike Webb.

[LisaM]

14. The body was apparently crammed into a crawl space

My fear is that it is Mike Webb. When KIRO yanked him off the air, I contacted them numerous times to try and ask why their parent company, Entercom (whom I also contacted) kept felonious Rush Limbaugh on the air on their sister station, but threw Mike Webb under the bus for one mistake. They ignored me, total radio silence. Entercom no longer owns KIRO, but they did when Webb was wrongfully fired.

I listened to Mike Webb and Erin Hart every night. I gave up TV for KIRO, I loved both their shows, and called in from time to time. Both were gracious on air, and both would also answer my emails when I sent them messages on various issues. Now, it's not allowed in my house at all.

I think KIRO has a lot to answer for; likewise, that asshole who runs Blatherwatch and has had a vendetta against Mike Webb since he was on-air (he used to accuse Mike of not being a liberal).

Mike Webb never wanted his picture posted online and protected his privacy fiercely. He was afraid of being attacked or killed. It seems that his fears may have been well founded.

If it was suicide, I still think KIRO and Blatherwatch have a lot to answer for. KIRO never responded to my emails or voicemails - not even a canned "we got your message" token response. Now, a local voice I valued highly may be silenced forever.

I plan to contact Dave Ross if this body turns out to be Mike's. He never has the courtesy to respond to my emails the way Mike Webb and Erin Hart did, but maybe he'll at least read it.

And felonious evil Rush Limbaugh still has a voice in our area.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

15. As it seems a few years back

Somewhat of a tail spin began to plunge downword for the Radio personality.
He did indeed make a bad choice along the lines of the insurance scam.
Something may have been going on with him that only he knew or knows.

As we poeple will tend to do things under stress and duress that they otherwise would not do.
And I am sure that is how the circumstances surrounding the insurance scam are viewed by those that loved his radio show.

Sometimes the truth is cold, it may help to not lose sight of that.
As it is the case begins to unfold.

There are indications that he may have been murdered.
It could be the body was moved to his rental house.
The person that located the body seems to be farily certain that it is indeed Mike. So it says it todays paper.

The certainty remains to be proven.

One can only wonder what was going on in his life befor the car accident.

A lot of gray in this tragedy.
And no doubt some very dark.

[sneakythomas]

24. I've been through my own tailspin.

Some things can really bend your head around. About two years ago I tried to kill myself. I ended up going into rehab instead. I'm still working my way out of a largely self-inflicted problem. It's too bad Mike came to this end, I suspect we'll never know how he got here really.

[lordsummerisle]

27. Good points Lisa

Mike always answered my emails also...unlike some of the the more "important" KIRO hosts...

[LisaM]

16. Well, I guess it has been positively identified as Mike's body

This is extremely upsetting to me. I really loved Mike Webb's show.

[RJRoss]

17. Dori Monson

is on KIRO right now, doing a tribute to Mike Webb. It was startling to hear Mike's voice again after so long - Dori played one of Mike's ranting right-wing caller's smack-downs. I used to love it when the gay-bashers called Mike, and he just toyed with them.

Sad day for Seattle talk-radio listeners, even sadder than the day KIRO fired him.

RIP, Mike.

[SeattleGirl]

20. Wow, Dori is doing a tribute to Mike?

I haven't been able to listen to Dori for several years; he's too right-leaning for me, but he definitely gets a nod from me for doing this in honor of Mike.

[LisaM]

25. He played (twice) that lead in with Mike asking the crazy guy out to dinner

It was strange hearing his voice; it really made me long for his show. I always hoped he would turn up on 1090 some day.

Now they have some asshole named either Ron or Don (one is out sick, the other one is there) interviwing that creepy dad who invented Purity Balls.

[SeattleGirl]

26. Yeah, I caught just a bit of than, and then tuned back in to 1090.

I'd rather listen to David Bender (subbing for Rachel Maddow), who is great, than either of those guys.

[flamingyouth]

18. Poor Mike

This is terrible. :cry:

[LisaM]

19. I know, I am in total shock.

I'm actually listening to Dori Monson right now - which I never thought I would do. I stopped listening to KIRO quite some time ago.

[RJRoss]

21. KIRO

used to be my favorite station - Mariners games, Mike Webb, Erin Hart. I could even stomach Dori once in a while. Haven't listened to 710 since Mike and Erin disappeared.

I first heard Scott Ritter on Mike's show, used to listen to Norman Solomon, Geov Parrish, Jim McDermott. I LOVED Mike Webb's show.

[SeattleGirl]

22. I occasionally tune in to Ron Reagan's show, which is on from noon to 1:00

I like him; but I miss Mike and I miss Erin.

[LisaM]

23. I used to listen to it all the time, too

I didn't even watch the news - just listened to the Mike Webb show.

[uppityperson]

30. Oh damn. RIP Mike

[icymist]

28. I found the Seattle Times story of the insurance fraud....

Tangled Webb

<snip>
The local, lefty talk-radio blog BlatherWatch (blatherwatch.blogs.com) broke the story of Webb's court proceedings in December. It was great fodder. The Seattle police probable-cause report details a bizarre story. On June 28, 2005, in the Eastlake neighborhood near the studios of KIRO, Webb's black 2000 Lexus was hit by a motorist who ran a yield sign. Webb showed police a proof-of- insurance card from National Merit. A report was filled out, and Webb was left with an estimated $4,000 in damage to his car.

According to investigators, on the next day, June 29, "according to Geico records, the defendant applied for and received motor vehicle insurance for his Lexus. . . . Geico records indicate that the initial payment of $151.00 was debited from his account on 6-29-05 at 15:31 local time. The next payment was debited from his account, again for $151, on 7-4-05 at 19:47 local time."

<snip>
In the Times article, Webb offered his first public explanation for what might have happened. Webb "said he believes the charge is a mistake that may have originated from a clerical or electronic error on the insurance company's part," the Times said.

"He also said that he and his lawyer . . . are considering the possibility that somebody who 'hates' his talk show may have hacked into his computer records. 'We are looking into hacking. Some people will do anything to damage you,' said Webb, 50. In addition, Webb said, he's suspicious of the timing of the charge because he's involved in a dispute with Seattle police.

"Webb claims he was assaulted by an officer while he and the officer both were waiting in line at a Seattle fast-food restaurant in 2004." (See "A Radio Host Is on the Err," May 19, 2004, Seattle Weekly.)

Read the full article recommended

I remember when all this happened. Back then, Mike was saying that he was suspicious of the police after this encounter.

<snip>
During an extensive recent interview with Seattle Weekly, but stepping carefully around his attorney's admonishment about talking, Webb explained his theory of what happened in the insurance dispute. He doesn't think anyone broke into Geico's or Washington Mutual's computers. It was his computer, he says, that was hacked and used to execute the policy cancellation and purchase. Webb, who refuses to be photographed, fearing for his safety, thinks he noticed other signs that his computer was being tampered with.

Isn't it strange that the SPD searched the house and didn't find anything until about a month later? In an email to KING5, Mike's landlord notices his (Mike's) computers are missing.

<snip>
I earlier mentioned the sign screwed to secure the back door because today, in changing the locks, I noticed that it had obviously been used for access to the house since my visit on June 12th when I noted it was secured.

Today, the bottom two screws and upper left screw were only partially screwed back in. The upper right corner was crunched and the screw in the upper right corner was severely bent so obviously someone had removed the 3 screws and bent the board up to go into the house and then upon leaving had only partially put it back.

When I entered the house on June 12th I noticed that all 3 computer stations Mike had were still intact - screen, mouse, printer, keyboards...but the 3 computers themselves were gone. The house didn't look like it had been ransacked, folded clothes were still in drawers in the bedrooms, the dresser drawers were nearly all closed, kitchen cabinets closed, etc.

Read the landlord's statement

[ConsAreLiars]

31. You bring up an importaint question. Why were the computers never examined by the cops, and

why were they later "stolen" when other valuable peripherals were left behind.

(As a side note, I used David Neth as a realtor 20 years ago because he was recommended for his social conscience and integrity. He is not making things up.)

(edit because the keyboard has lots of buttons which are very close together.)

[SeattleGirl]

32. Sounds like Mike had some very good grounds for claiming that

he was not guilty of fraud, but that there were a lot of people joining forces to make the charge stick and get a conviction.

Mike was so out-spoken on his show, calling "bullshit" on things that WERE bullshit. I loved listening to his show.

Hearing that he was murdered, and especially that it seems that he was stabbed to death. I can't even imagine how horrible that was to go through.

:cry:

[flamingyouth]

33. It's an incredibly weird and sad story.

And it sounds like he had every good reason to be paranoid.

[SeattleGirl]

34. New York Vinnie said that very thing on KIRO news tonight.

About how a lot of people thought he was paranoid (for no reason), but that Mike must have obviously known that someone was after him.

[flamingyouth]

35. Yeah, I saw that too.

I didn't know that Mike Webb always carried a gun, like New York Vinnie said.

I guess his sister is coming to town tomorrow and that she has some strong leads for the police, at least.

So tragic...

[SeattleGirl]

36. I really hope Mike's sister has some good leads on whoever killed Mike.

I bet that Mike talked to her about feeling that someone was out to get him.

[Fawkes]

29. RIP Mike

I often listened to Mike and called in to him a few times when
I lived in Sultan from 2000 to 2003.  I'm back in California
now, but I remember that having Mike to listen to from a
right-wing (and corrupt) bastion helped to keep me from losing
my mind.  I also heard Mike at some anti-war marches and
rallies.  He was a voice for the truth and the people.  I am
so sorry to learn that he has been murdered.  Whatever faults
he may have had--and I personally don't know of any--he made a
difference.  

RIP Mike Webb.

[LisaM]

37. Well, the fact that he felt in danger clearly was NOT paranoia

So I am tempted to believe that the fact that he thought he might have been hacked was not paranoia either. Added to the fact that his computers disappeared, but nothing else did.