Man found guilty of 2020 murders of couple found in suitcases along Alki Beach
A man accused of shooting and killing a couple, whose bodies washed ashore on Alki Beach, has been found guilty of their murders.
Michael Dudley, 64, had been renting a room to victims Jessie Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27, in Burien.
Prosecutors said Dudley killed the couple on June 9, 2020, over a dispute about unpaid rent.
Ten days later, their bodies were found in suitcases that were discovered on a rocky shore on Alki Beach by a group of teenagers making a TikTok video more than two years ago.
A month later, on Aug. 19, a search warrant was served at the Burien home that the suspect had shared with the couple.
According to court documents, detectives found bullet holes, spent rounds and blood in the room the couple was renting, and that “it was obvious the room had recently been painted and cleaned.”
The defense argued that there was not enough evidence to convict Dudley, but prosecutors said all signs pointed to Dudley — including his phone pinging off towers near Alki just minutes before the first suitcase was spotted.
The case went to the jury on Tuesday.
