PORT ANGELES — A suspect in the homicide of Native American master woodcarver George Cecil David of Neah Bay has been picked up from jail for extradition to her home state of Arkansas on a parole violation.
Tina Marie Alcorn, 45, was retrieved from the Clallam County jail at 4:30 a.m. Saturday by a prisoner transport company under contract with Arkansas authorities, jail Administrator Ron Sukert said Tuesday.
“They showed up, took custody and headed east,” Sukert said.
“If the local case moves forward, it’s easy enough to get her back.”
Arkansas corrections agency spokeswomen did not return calls for comment on Alcorn’s status Monday and Tuesday.
On April 25, Port Angeles police named Alcorn as a homicide suspect in the death of David, 65.
David’s body was found March 28 where he was staying in the apartment of an acquaintance in the 1100 block of East Columbia Street, east of downtown Port Angeles.
David died of blunt-force trauma to the head, according to an autopsy.
Police Sgt. Jason Viada said Tuesday that Port Angeles police have at least two more interviews to conduct in the case.
Police said David, who had traveled by bus from Neah Bay to Port Angeles the afternoon of March 25, was seen on foot after arriving in Port Angeles.
They have focused their efforts on downtown Port Angeles and east of First and Race streets, in the area where David was staying.
Mark Nichols, Clallam County prosecuting attorney and ex officio coroner, said Tuesday he is awaiting toxicology results that are not expected to result in any change to the determination of cause and manner of death.
Evidence gathered in the case has been sent to the State Patrol Crime Lab for DNA analysis, Interim Police Chief Brian Smith said.
According to a search warrant executed on where David was staying, police removed for further examination a couch, a portion of carpeting, blood swabs, DNA samples and clothing.
“They are looking for evidence of blood on particular items,” Smith said in a recent interview.
Viada said a State Patrol crime scene team also was in Port Angeles to assist with the case.
Erik Neilson, quality assurance manager at the Crime Lab, said Tuesday that cases involving DNA analysis generally take 30 to 60 days to complete.
“Usually, with a homicide case, [DNA analysis] is the bottleneck,” Neilson said.
Alcorn has a relative in the Port Angeles area but is described by Port Angeles police as transient.
Alcorn was on parole for a theft-of-property conviction when she stopped reporting and left Arkansas without permission, Miranda Mercer of Arkansas Community Correction said in an earlier interview.
The Arkansas Board of Parole issued a felony warrant for Alcorn’s arrest March 31.
She was booked April 19 into the Clallam County jail after she was arrested at a Mount Vernon bus stop.
David, formerly of Port Alberni, B.C., was on his way to a March 26 memorial service on Vancouver Island when he stopped March 25 in Port Angeles, his nephew, Wade Greene of Neah Bay, said in an earlier interview.
David, whose daughter lives in Neah Bay, was a member of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations based in Tofino, B.C.
He carved poles, rattles, paddles, headdresses and large face masks.
“He was in the top five of our field of West Coast carvers,” Greene said.
An April 8 service for David at Neah Bay Assembly of God was attended by about 250 mourners and was followed with further commemoration by 400 to 500 people who filled the gymnasium on the Makah reservation.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Port Angeles Police Detective Sgt. Tyler Peninger at 360-417-4957.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
