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Costco Worker Charged With Second-Degree Murder After Alleged Jealous Driving Attack

Prosecutors say surveillance footage, with a recorded admission, links the accused to a deliberate sideswipe that killed a co-worker.

Overview

  • The crash, which occurred July 31, left 20-year-old Jonathan Langdon ejected from his motorcycle into a metal signpost and pronounced dead at the scene.
  • Prosecutors obtained Costco security video they say shows a gray sedan approach Langdon from behind and cite a court-recorded statement in which 22-year-old Tyler Martin Sorensen said, "It was stupid but I, I meant to do it."
  • Police say Sorensen fled the scene, returned about an hour later with his father, and has been booked on a second-degree murder charge; he is held on $2 million bail and has pleaded not guilty.
  • The female coworker at the center of the dispute told investigators she never dated Sorensen and had told him he was "crossing boundaries," while prosecutors say jealousy over a hug with Langdon motivated the alleged attack.
  • The case is now in King County Superior Court where prosecutors must prove the elements of second-degree murder, and the killing has prompted a memorial at the Costco site and local concern about workplace safety.