When they began investigating a cold case, detectives in Washington state likely had no idea the motive would sound like something from a dark parody. But now we have a man who is said to have admitted to killing a woman after she made him take a shower and apparently insulted him. A four-year probe led to a shallow grave, syringes scattered over human remains, and a missing U-Haul has been connected to the strange, stomach-turning finding in Washington.
James Daniel Lewis, 49, is accused by authorities of killing 36-year-old Amanda Elaine Green and carrying out second-degree murder, unlawful firearm possession, and unlawful remains disposal. Family members and friends are still trying to figure out why Green went missing in August 2021. After years of guesswork, detectives think they finally know what happened and why.
In August 2021, Tacoma police got a missing person’s report for Green. Investigators thought she had been murdered in Yelm, Washington, by the following year, but they did not find a body. When detectives went over the case earlier this year, everything had changed.
View this post on Instagram
Lewis was taken into custody in Washington on an unrelated warrant in March. He allegedly led police to a shallow grave close to Mount Rainier while they were interviewing him. Officers noticed what appeared to be Green’s remains there.
Syringes were randomly placed on top of the grave in Washington to create the illusion of a drug overdose, apparently. Lewis first said that someone else had fired the gun and that he had only helped in getting the body evacuated.
But his account fell apart when detectives challenged him. He admitted that he had shot Green.
A probable cause affidavit that Law&Crime could get hold of from Washington says that Lewis gave detectives several contrasting reasons. He at first said that Green tried to take his weapons. He said that after she pointed a gun at him, he had to shoot back to protect himself. He later insisted she wanted to hold onto his late grandmother’s property.
But when Detective Gross pressed harder, the most odd motive became evident. Lewis revealed that Green once made him shower because he had a foul odor. He supposedly said, “If you know me, I don’t like taking showers,” finding this habit “humiliating.”
Lewis eventually agreed, as reported by investigators, that he wanted “any reason” to murder her. He was described as “too jumpy.”
RELATED: Texas Man Allegedly Admits to Wife’s Murder, Then Brags It Was His ‘First Crime Ever’
Green rented a U-Haul that was not brought back, and detectives believe she was killed in late May 2021. Also, witnesses said that they were either there at the time of the deadly encounter or saw Lewis confess. Given his issues with his mental health, authorities have not charged the other man, who is believed to have helped Lewis in transporting and disposing of the body.
Lewis is still being held without bond at the Thurston County Jail. Tuesday is the date of his next hearing in court.
Green’s family needs to come to terms with the fact that what happened to her was not only a murder mystery but also one that was made even more bizarre by the fact that it was believed to be caused by a simple shower.
ALSO READ: Washington Shop Owner Sentenced To Eight Years For Shooting And Killing Shoplifter
