William Lembcke

Case record: William Lembcke

Background

William Lembcke killed his parents and his sister and brother at their home, then took their bodies to a nearby road in the family pickup.

A 16-year-old William L. Lembcke was described as a juvenile.

People

• William Lembcke — defendant
• Robert H. Lembcke — victim; 49
• Diana L. Lembcke (also spelled “Diane Lembcke” and “Diana”) — victim; 43
• Jolene A. Lembcke — victim; 18
• Wesley J. Lembcke — victim; 11 (also referenced as 12 in some passages)
• Clinton Lembcke — older brother; 24; lived at another location and was not at the home at the time of the shootings
• Andy Davenport — Diana Lembcke’s brother; reported the family missing
• Dylan Simpkins — Jolene Lembcke’s boyfriend
• Cheryl Tasker / Joyce Tasker — neighbor who described William Lembcke as a “pleasant, somewhat quiet” boy (described as Joyce Tasker in one passage)
• Chuck Salina — Colville High School principal
• David Bruneau — Stevens County prosecutor (Deputy Stevens County Prosecutor David Bruneau applauded the verdict and sentence)
• Jerry Wetle — county prosecutor (also “county Prosecutor Jerry Wetle”)
• Larry Kristianson — Stevens County Superior Court judge
• Craig Thayer — Stevens County sheriff
• Loren Erdman — sheriff’s detective involved in a search warrant affidavit
• Aaron Davis — sheriff’s officer who confirmed reports of a confession
• Paul Murray — deputy; stated in court documents that William Lembcke allowed deputies to search and broke down when a blood stain was seen through fresh paint on the kitchen ceiling
• Duane Johnson — deputy who noticed blood on a hot water tank and washing machine
• Detective Ben Paramore — detective who revealed details about victims’ condition when officers found their bodies
• Detective Paul Murray and Deputy Johnson — deputies who conducted the welfare check in the early morning hours of December 30, 2000
• Deputy Stevens County Prosecutor David Bruneau — prosecutor
• Patricia Jo St. Clair / Patty St. Clair / Paul Wasson — defense attorneys
• Judge KATO, J. — appellate judge in the appeal described
• KREM-TV — mentioned as a TV station that ran a quote from Clinton Lembcke

Timeline

• December 21 — Jolene Lembcke told her boyfriend and her parents about finding an illicit recording in the family’s new video camera; she showed her parents a video and then erased it (a duplicate video issue was discussed).
• December 23 — Investigators believed William Lembcke shot his father, mother, sister, and brother at their home; multiple passages place the killings on Dec. 23.
• December 29 — Mrs. Lembcke’s brother, Andy Davenport, called the sheriff’s office shortly before midnight reporting the family missing; William told inquiring relatives the family had gone to California to visit a sick uncle.
• December 29 — Relatives gathered Sunday at the home after the family had not been seen for five days.
• December 30, 2000 — Deputies conducted a welfare check in the early morning hours; bodies were found early in the day buried in a snowbank along a road about two miles from the home.
• January 1, 2001 — A Spokane television station reported William Lembcke admitted in a written statement to killing his parents and two siblings; he could face up to four counts of first-degree murder.
• January 3, 2001 — The Stevens County Sheriff’s office said he confessed; deputies learned while interviewing William that the bodies had been dumped northwest of Addy off Naff Road; he was expected to make his first court appearance Tuesday.
• June 7, 2001 — A hearing was scheduled on motions by Lembcke’s lawyers to have a confession and other evidence thrown out due to claimed diminished mental capacity.
• August 16, 2001 — Jury selection began in Okanogan County.
• August 20, 2001 — Trial began after the court excused Juror No. 3; court informed counsel and Mr. Lembcke of the excusal.
• August 27, 2001 — William Lembcke was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
• August 28, 2001 — A jury convicted William Lembcke; the judge sent him to prison for the rest of his life.
• March 2, 2001 — Lawyers sought to have a taped confession thrown out and evidence suppressed; a hearing on defense objections resulted in delaying the hearing until April 23 to present psychiatric evidence.
• April 23 — The hearing was put off until April 23 so defense lawyers could present psychiatric evidence.
• June 11 — Trial set for June 11 in Colville Superior Court (as stated).
• June 11 (as scheduled) — Lembcke’s trial on four counts of aggravated first-degree murder was to start August 20 in one passage; another passage sets trial for June 11.
• August 20 (as scheduled) — Trial scheduled to start August 20 with a jury from Okanogan County.
• August 27, 2001 — Date filed: 08/27/2001 described for the appellate decision.

The offence

William Lembcke shot his parents and his sister and brother at their home.

Investigators believed the four were shot on December 23 at their home, then taken to a nearby road in the family pickup.

An autopsy concluded the parents, brother, and sister were shot with two different guns. Investigators were trying to determine the significance of two weapons being used.

Victims and injuries

• Robert H. Lembcke — shot three times in the head; suffered “contact” wounds; 49.
• Diana Lembcke — shot three times in the head with two different rifles and four times in the right arm, shoulder and hands, possibly as she tried to ward off what was coming; 43.
• Jolene Lembcke — shot twice in the back of the head and once in the back; 18. Her body was nude from the waist down.
• Wesley Lembcke — shot once; suffered “contact” wounds; referenced as 11 and also as 12 in different passages.

Order of killings

From statements made by Lembcke and from autopsy evidence, it appeared that Lembcke’s father was shot first, then other members of his family died in various rooms of their home.

A probable cause affidavit described the sequence shortly after he armed himself:

“shortly after the defendant armed himself, he shot his dad in the hallway, then he shot his mother in the kitchen, then his sister in the living room, and his brother in the living room as he was lying on the floor.”

The probable cause affidavit also stated that when asked why he shot his mother, sister and brother:

“the defendant stated he didn't know, then agreed he shot them because they were witnesses,”

Domestic confrontation and motive described in affidavits and statements

A confrontation over a teen’s secret videotaping of his sister in the shower led to the killing of four family members, court documents alleged.

Search warrant documents alleged William Lembcke killed his parents, sister, and little brother in December after he was disciplined for secretly videotaping the 18-year-old girl in the shower.

A probable cause affidavit described a firewood dispute:

“The defendant told the officers his dad was mad at him for not helping get firewood and then the defendant got mad and when his dad went into the shower, he loaded the guns,”

A further transcript of a taped statement included William Lembcke’s explanation for reasons for the shootings:

“not being able to go anywhere,”
“my dad being mean,” and
“working all the time with my dad.”

He also said:

“I have to do a lot of stuff for my mom, and my sister's never home,”

In the transcript, he said his father threatened to kick him out and send him back to Martin Hall:

“was threatening to kick me out and send me back to Martin Hall.”

He said:

“I got mad and, when he went in the shower, I loaded the guns,”

He described thinking:

“He said he sat on his father's bed and thought about whether to open fire when his father got out of the shower.”

He said after he shot his father in the back of the head, his mother “just couldn't say anything, scared, I guess.” He also said both the sister and brother tried to hide on the living room floor.

The James: One passage stated Lembcke agreed he shot them because they were witnesses.

Cover-up and disposal

Lembcke told deputies he made an extensive effort to cover up the crime by painting some walls that had been spattered with blood and flesh, and dumping the bodies in a roadside ditch about 2 miles from the home.

He told inquiring relatives his family had gone to California to visit a sick uncle.

Deputies found wallets and purses and all family vehicles at the house.

Investigation

Police investigated reports that the family members were missing after the sheriff’s office was called.

Relatives notified the sheriff’s office after the family members had not been seen for five days.

Deputies reported noticing apparent blood:

• on the hot water tank and washing machine,
• on a light fixture,
• fresh paint on the ceiling with dark stains showing through,
• bits of flesh on a kitchen ornament,
• and blood in the bed of the vehicle.

After Lembcke allowed deputies to search the house, he broke down in tears when deputies found what appeared to be a blood stain showing through fresh paint on the kitchen ceiling.

Investigators found the bodies on December 30 buried in a snowbank along a road about two miles from the home, covered with snow on the side of a rural road near Addy.

Arrest and initial court proceedings

Law enforcement arrested William Lembcke after deputies interviewed him and found evidence linking him to the crime in his home.

During a first court appearance in Colville Superior Court, he was ordered held over without bail.

In the first court appearance described, Lembcke answered questions about his birthdate and the spelling of his name.

He was being held without bail in the Stevens County Jail.

Trial

Lembcke pleaded innocent to four counts of aggravated first-degree murder.

His lawyer filed a motion asking for a copy of an audio tape of the boy’s statement to police.

Defense attorneys indicated they would use an insanity defense.

A court-appointed defense attorney hinted at a possible insanity defense and arranged to have a mental-health professional examine Lembcke at county expense.

The trial included proceedings on motions to suppress:

• Lawyers for Lembcke sought to have a taped confession thrown out.
• Lawyers also sought to suppress evidence that deputies gathered during a search of the Lembcke family home.
• Lawyers faulted Miranda procedure, seeking suppression of his statements and evidence gathered during the search.

Defense objections included claims that Lembcke suffered “diminished mental capacity” when he gave statements to officers and authorized a search of his home.

During these proceedings, Judge Larry Kristianson put off the hearing until April 23 so defense lawyers could present psychiatric evidence.

Sentencing

After conviction, Superior Court Judge Larry Kristianson imposed sentence:

“Deep inside, son, you're a monster, and you deserve the punishment that a monster should receive,”

On August 27, 2001, Lembcke was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The troubled teen showed little emotion during most of the trial but sobbed openly during the sentencing phase.

Deputy Stevens County Prosecutor David Bruneau applauded the verdict and sentence.

Appeals

William Lembcke appealed:

• claiming the court erred by refusing to suppress his statements to police and evidence discovered during a search of the family home,
• and contending the court abused its discretion by excusing a juror without first holding a hearing.

The appellate court described that:

• The initial contact at the Lembcke home was proper under the community caretaking function exception.
• Lembcke was not seized until he was arrested.
• The court determined his Miranda waiver was valid, noting that he had received Miranda warnings twice.
• Two psychiatrists testified Lembcke had the capacity to understand his rights.
• The trial court did not err in denying the motion to suppress.

Regarding the juror, the appellate decision stated:

• Jury selection began in Okanogan County on August 16, 2001.
• Juror No. 3 was excused because the juror’s father became ill over the weekend.
• A replacement alternate juror would replace the juror.
• The trial began after the ex parte dismissal over Lembcke’s objection.
• The appellate court determined the procedure did not require a formal hearing because the case had not yet gone to the jury.
• The appellate court found any error would be harmless because the jury had not heard any evidence when Juror No. 3 was excused and the juror was replaced by an alternate.
• The appellate court affirmed the conviction.

Outcome

The jury convicted William Lembcke of murdering four members of his family.

The court sentenced him to life imprisonment without possibility of parole.

The appellate court affirmed.

Other details

Prior juvenile theft

Lembcke had a juvenile record.

In one described episode, he pleaded guilty to first-degree theft for taking $25 worth of rolled coins and a silver bar valued at around $166 from the home of neighbors.

At that time he had run away from home during the theft incident and was sentenced to 12 months of community supervision and 40 hours of community service at the nearby Dog Patch animal shelter operated by neighbor Joyce Tasker.

Joyce Tasker described him as a “pleasant, somewhat quiet” boy who had confided feeling unwanted at home.

Tasker recalled an incident a couple of years earlier in which he became angry for reasons she never learned and beat the bark off a tree with a hammer.

School and behavior

William Lembcke registered at Colville Senior High School two months before the shootings after having been home-schooled for the past year.

Colville High School principal Chuck Salina remembered William Lembcke as a student at Fort Colville Elementary School, where Salina also had been principal.

Salina said William “did some juvenile-type stuff” but did not exhibit anger that would lead to “something like this,” and that he was “shocked.”

Salina said Jolene Lembcke was a “terrific kid and very well liked by her peers.”

An additional school administrator described Lembcke as quiet and non-disruptive.

Family medical detail

Published reports said Diana Lembcke suffered from multiple sclerosis and rarely left the house.

Family reactions

Clinton Lembcke, 24, said he had been comforted by relatives and described preparing funerals and other tasks.

Clinton said:

“The feelings haven't really kicked in,”
“It doesn't seem like reality to me.”

A relative said:

“We were like best friends.”

A relative, Sam Lembcke, said:

“They were trying to deal with problems in the family,”
and did not elaborate.

Videotaping detail and sexual conduct allegation

Search warrant affidavits and court documents alleged:

• Detective Loren Erdman said in a search warrant affidavit that Lembcke was believed to have made a second videotape of himself masturbating while watching the video of his nude sister in the shower.
• Officers said Lembcke had no reason to believe anyone outside his family knew about “his sexually deviant recordings” when he committed the murders.

Detectives said:

• Jolene Lembcke told her boyfriend, Dylan Simpkins, and her parents about finding the video in the family’s new video camera on December 21.
• Simpkins told detectives that Jolene showed her parents a video of her showering and then showed William Lembcke masturbating while watching a duplicate copy of the shower video.
• Simpkins said Jolene erased the video after showing it to her parents, but he did not know whether a duplicate video existed.
• Authorities believed Jolene’s upsetness and staying overnight at Simpkins’ home meant William had an opportunity to kill his family members after she returned home.

Detectives said:

• William admitted having sex with his sister after killing her.
• Jolene’s body was found in a roadside ditch.

Numbers and identity details

The Stevens County Sheriff’s office identified the family as Robert H. Lembcke, 49; Diana L. Lembcke, 43; Jolene A. Lembcke, 18; and Wesley L. Lembcke, 11.

Wesley’s age also appeared as 12 in some passages, including in a probable cause affidavit discussion.

Court process and charges as stated in different passages

William Lembcke faced:

• four counts of aggravated first-degree murder / four counts of aggravated first-degree murder, and was scheduled for trial with various date references in different passages (including June 11 and August 20).

Minors were not eligible for the death penalty on that charge because he was younger than 18, as stated in one passage.

If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison without possibility of parole, and the appellate decision described a life sentence without possibility of parole.