On March 25, 1998, Omak Police Officer Michael W. Marshall, 43, was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance call at the Stampede Motel. Marshall, a patrol officer with 11 years on the force, and his partner Donald Eddy Jr. had been sent after the motel owner reported a man threatening her. Officers found the man, later identified as Juan Duarte Gonzales, in an alley. Gonzales reportedly refused repeated orders to remove his hands from his pockets and then pulled a handgun and shot Officer Marshall in the head. Officer Eddy returned fire; during the exchange Gonzales drew a second gun and shot Eddy in the groin.

Officer Marshall was taken to a local hospital and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died early the next morning. Gonzales was also taken to Harborview under police guard. The community mourned Marshall’s death and the case moved toward prosecution. Did anyone in Omak have contact with the victim or know more about what happened at the motel that night?