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march 18, 2015
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Police seek suspects in Klahanie bank robbery The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bank robbery that happened March 12 at the Wells Fargo Bank branch in Klahanie. The robbery took place at about 6 p.m. when the sheriff’s office says an unknown male entered the bank, robbed it and the left the branch before police were notified. The suspect didn’t use a weapon and the whole incident lasted only a few minutes, according to a press release. The shopping area around
By Tom Corrigan
Reporters get information about Bradley Steven Robinett and his apparent bunker during a press conference with Sgt. B.J. Myers, of the King County Sheriff’s Office (left), and Ayn Dietrich-Williams, media coordinator of the FBI Seattle Division.
Bunker likely belonged to convicted bank robber By Tom Corrigan tcorrigan@isspress.com Officials still aren’t in a position to say what was in the boxes removed from a hillside bunker that may have been built by convicted bank robber Bradley Steven Robinett, said Ayn DietrichWilliams, FBI media coordinator. Sammamish Police, FBI, ATF and the Washington State Patrol all worked together March 10 to uncover the bunker near the Monterre residential complex, 3500 E. Lake Sammamish Parkway, one of several bunkers Robinett, 46, may have had in the state. Officials say they removed 15-20 two-handed plastic totes or boxes from the dingy, 10-by8-foot bunker discovered in a steeply sloped and secluded wooded area abutting the Monterre development. On the morning the bunker was uncovered, Dietrich-Williams said finding it was like taking part in a children’s treasure hunt. “We knew to look for a certain type of tree and we knew to look for a certain ravine,” she said, but added that was about all investigators knew for certain. An unnamed ATF agent was credited with spotting a piece of wood that simply
looked out of place and turned out to be part of the bunker, which was buried under a dirt-covered tarp. A small wooden hatch and a steep set of wooden stairs led into the bunker. The inside was covered with white mold and partly filled with bits and pieces of junk, along with some greatly deteriorated shoes and several unopened cans of soda. During a press conference held after media were allowed to tour the bunker, DietrichWilliams and King County Sgt. B.J. Myers declined to say for sure whether Robinett ever actually lived in the bunker after escaping from police in 2009. They also declined to speculate on whether Robinett was ever a threat to residents of the Monterre complex. It is not clear if Robinett had any relationship with the apartment complex or anyone living there. It also is not clear why Robinett may have chosen Sammamish as a place to build a bunker. Officials still are hopeful of finding at least two more of Robinett’s bunkers, according to Dietrich-Williams. That was one reason they allowed media to tour the Sammamish site. Investigators are hoping to spread the word about more
bunkers and are asking civilians to report anything suspicious. Some bunkers may belong to criminals other than Robinett, including convicted serial killer Israel Keyes. Officials warned members of the public to stay away from any questionable locations they do come across for safety reasons. While media toured the possible Robinett site, officials warned the ground-level roof to the bunker might not be safe to walk on. As if to prove the point, the roof gave away beneath the foot of one reporter, who fell somewhat into the top of the bunker, but was apparently unharmed. According to court filings, Robinett was convicted of bank robbery, and in 2004 was sentenced to seven years in prison. In August 2009, he was released and put on a bus to Seattle with the requirement that he report to a specific halfway house within 48 hours. Robinett never reported to the halfway house and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In 2009, Robinett twice was able to elude police by abandoning the car he was driving and escaping on foot. He was finally arrested See BUNKER, Page 5
the branch was very busy during that evening hour and investigators got good assistance from several witnesses, KCSO Sgt. B.J. Myers said. Though the investigation is ongoing, the cooperation received from those witnesses may prove to be crucial, Myers added. KCSO detectives are pursuing leads in the case and soon hope to identify the suspect. This was the first bank robbery at this Wells Fargo going back almost 10 years.
Showing heart: School community supports student with transplant By Neil Pierson npierson@sammamishreview.com Maddie Sprague is the typical kindergarten student in many ways. She loves art, puzzles, singing and dancing, and make-believe stories. She also loves her three brothers — Warren, Jake and Joe. “They all squabble, of course, but they’re very close and enjoy being together,” said Jeannie Sprague, their mother. Maddie isn’t typical in one respect: She was born with congenital heart defects, including hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition in which the left ventricle of the heart is underdeveloped and doesn’t allow for sufficient blood flow throughout the body. She also has heterotaxy, meaning her major organs aren’t in the usual places. Jeannie and Colin Sprague met Maddie when she was only a couple weeks old. Their three sons are adopted, and they wanted a daughter as well. They knew about Maddie’s health problems — she had open-heart surgery the day she was born — but felt drawn to the baby girl in an inexplicable way. “I just feel like it was supposed to be,” Jeannie said
Maddie Sprague of adopting Maddie. “We … thought about it extensively and prayed about it, and just felt like that was what we needed to do. “But it’s wild to say, ‘OK, we’re going to take this baby with all these conditions and not know what is going to happen.’” Maddie had two more surgeries to deal with the hypoplastic syndrome — one in 2009 while the family was still living in southern California, See HEART, Page 3 Prsrt Std U.S. Postage PAID Kent, WA Permit No. 71 POSTAL CUSTOMER
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