PORT TOWNSEND — A Port Townsend man has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly shooting a Quilcene man in his home.
Blake Robert Fox, 37, was charged Monday during his initial appearance in Jefferson County Superior Court following a 12-hour manhunt Saturday.
The victim, Robin Richards, 62, of Quilcene, was pronounced dead at the scene at his home in the 600 block of McInnis Road after he had been shot once in the chest, according to a probable cause statement written by Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Art Frank.
The motive was still under investigation Monday, Sgt. Brett Anglin said.
Fox was charged with second-degree murder — armed with a firearm.
The Class B felony is punishable by up to life in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.
Fox remained in jail on Monday with a $750,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Law enforcement officers searched for Fox for nearly 12 hours on Saturday. At about noon, deputies learned Fox had run out of gas in Chimacum near West Valley Road, and at about 12:20 p.m., Frank talked to Fox on the phone.
While he initially resisting sharing his location with Frank, Fox eventually turned himself over to deputies, the report said.
Fox did tell Frank he was armed, but he agreed to disarm himself before he met with deputies, the report said.
Deputies initially were called to the Quilcene residence by a female witness who said she and Fox were visiting Richards and had arrived at about 9:30 p.m. Friday night, the report said.
The witness, Fox and Richards were the only adults at the house, according to the report, which noted the woman’s 6-year-old girl was asleep on the couch.
The witness told Frank that Fox left the house and came back smoking a cigarette.
She said she saw Fox open the door and stand in the foyer, and then she reported hearing “two or three” gun shots, followed by Richards saying “he killed me,” the report said.
Deputies and paramedics arrived at the scene by about 12:14 a.m. Saturday and attempted to treat Richards before he died, according to the report.
Richards was sitting in a chair right inside the front door when he was shot, and the woman reportedly saw Fox holding a gun in his hand at the time of the shooting, the report said.
Fox then fled the scene in his truck.
While investigating the scene, Frank noted what appeared to be two bullet holes that went through the front door in the direction of Richards, along with two “defects” in the chair where Richards was sitting, according to the report.
Based on the two defects and the bullet wound in Richards, “it appears there was a minimum of three gunshots fired by Fox and Richards was the target,” the report said.
Once Fox was taken into custody, he told Frank that “I threw my Glock in the woods,” referring to the weapon he had informed officials he was carrying, according to the report.
While Frank walked Fox to the patrol vehicle, Fox reportedly said, “I should have just left, the way the were talking to me.”
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
