Major Crimes Detectives Arrest Husband for Murder
This afternoon, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detectives, investigating what was initially reported as a suicide, arrested the husband of the victim for Murder 2nd Degree. A suspicious death investigation began after Deputies who responded to the scene noticed inconsistencies in the statement provided by the husband and evidence at the scene. Major Crimes Detectives responded to continue the investigation, which resulted in today’s arrest.
On January 18, 2022, at approximately 11:00 pm., Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence in the 28900 block of N. Perry for a reported suicide. The caller, 55-year-old Dean M. Ayers, stated his wife shot herself in the head.
Deputies, along with Spokane County Fire District 4 and Deer Park Ambulance personnel, arrived at the scene. The victim was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she later died.
As Deputies spoke with Ayers and began to assess the evidence at the scene, several inconsistencies were noted, leading to the suspicion the victim didn’t commit suicide as Ayers was stating.
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detectives, Forensic Unit Technicians, and Traffic Unit Scene Reconstructionists were called to the scene to document/collect evidence and continue the investigation.
After the autopsy was completed and the results compared to the evidence at the scene and the statements made by Ayers, Major Crimes Detective Scott Bonney, the lead investigator on the case, developed probable cause to arrest Ayers for Murder 2nd Degree.
On January 20, 2022, at approximately 1:15 pm., Major Crimes Detectives, with the assistance of patrol Deputies, arrested Ayers at his residence without incident. He was transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail for Murder 2nd Degree.