Two Men Sentenced to Long Prison Terms for Brutal Murder on Federal Land Near Spanaway, Washington

Tacoma - A 53-year-old Tacoma man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 26 years in prison for second degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Bobbie Anson Pease pleaded guilty in July 2021 to the 2018 murder of a 34-year-old woman on federal land, part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Jeremy Jay Warren, 34, of Forks, Washington, was sentenced today to nearly 22 years in prison for his role in the murder. At the sentencing hearing for Pease, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan called the crime "a tragic event" saying "What happened here is beyond the realm of normal human activity."

"These two men violently took the life of a young woman - a single parent - who had trusted them to provide a ride and assistance," said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. "Instead, they viciously beat her with a metal baseball bat and shot her in the head. In order to protect our community from this wanton and senseless depravity, these lengthy sentences are appropriate."

According to records in the case, Pease was temporarily sharing a house with the victim, her daughter, co-defendant Jeremy Warren and others in August and September 2018. On September 4, 2018, the victim asked Pease and Warren for a ride to a Spanaway convenience store. The men had a pistol and an aluminum baseball bat in the car. After going to the store and allowing the victim to purchase groceries, Pease drove the victim and Warren to a wooded area nearby, claiming he wanted to do some target shooting. At the wooded area, which was an undeveloped plot of federal land outside the fenced boundaries of JBLM, the men claim they confronted the victim about items they accused her of stealing - a drug pipe and pocket-knife - although the investigation did not confirm the victim had actually taken these items. The men beat the victim with the bat causing significant head injuries and broken bones. Then Pease took the pistol and fired three shots into the victim's head, killing her instantly. The men left the body in the wooded area and disposed of the bat and the gun at various locations in the Tacoma and Spanaway area. The gun was ultimately recovered from the Puyallup River. The two made calls to the police attempting to mislead them during the investigation by claiming the victim has left the convenience store with someone else and moved out of state. On September 13, 2018, the victim's body was discovered by railroad workers. Pease and Warren were arrested in late October 2018 after they had relocated to Forks, Washington, to avoid authorities and following an extensive manhunt.

Describing the victim as someone with a "big heart, a loud laugh and was exceptionally trusting," Assistant United States Attorney Grady Leupold said the men's "cruelty and violence put a hole in the hearts" of all the victim's family members.

The victim's parents and brothers spoke to the court of the pain of loss they feel. The victim's father asking defendant Pease "Can you give me an honest answer why? That's all I want to know. Why? - you took a valuable part of me."

Pease has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 1991 in Washington State including: Assault and attempting to elude (Pierce County 2013); Escape (Jefferson County 2003); robbery with a deadly weapon enhancement (Pierce County 2003); witness tampering (Thurston County 2003); theft and attempting to elude (Pierce County 1999); car theft (Thurston County 1999); burglary (Pierce County 1992) and possession of stolen property (Pierce County 1991). The convictions mean Pease could not legally possess a firearm.

Warren was sentenced to 262 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release to follow the prison term.

"This case is truly horrific and demonstrates the subjects' utter lack of regard for human life," said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. "So many elements of this case are senseless and tragic: luring the victim into the woods under the pretense of friendship, attacking a defenseless person with multiple types of weapons, and then covering up the murder and fleeing. Addressing violent crime remains a top priority of the FBI."

The investigation was led by the FBI with assistance from Army CID, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, the Tacoma Police Department, and the Forks Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grady J. Leupold and Ye-Ting Woo.

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