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Left: Kitsap deputies arrest Chad Wilson for murder. Right: Mailbox at scene of deadly shooting (Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office).
A jury in Washington state convicted a man who shot a person to death because he thought they had stolen his mail.
Chad Wilson, 41, was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter, murder with extreme indifference and drive-by shooting, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. Deputies say Wilson spotted 31-year-old Richard Taii and two other women in a car outside his home in Port Richard, near Seattle, on Jan. 10, 2023, and thought they were stealing his mail. Wilson went to confront the trio and subsequently shot Taii dead.
Detectives were able to piece together what happened through surveillance video and witness statements, an arrest affidavit obtained by local Fox affiliate KCPQ said. One of the women with Taii told investigators that they began to drive away when Wilson blocked their vehicle in a cul-de-sac. Wilson drove up to the alleged mail thieves before saying something along the lines of “give me my f—ing mail back.” The suspect exited his truck and got into a “military stance,” the affidavit reportedly said. Wilson fired one shot into Taii’s head, according to the affidavit. Taii’s vehicle then rolled into several mailboxes.
Wilson reportedly claimed self-defense, saying Taii drove at him at an aggressive manner. But the surveillance video showed that Taii was not driving at him and was going around Wilson’s vehicle, cops said. The women with Taii said they just happened to park next to the mailbox but deputies found at least one piece of mail in the vehicle. They have since been prosecuted for mail theft. Taii had just been bonded out of jail, cops said.
Detectives arrested Wilson a couple hours after the incident. He reportedly told investigators he chose to confront Taii and the two women by himself as opposed to calling cops because he felt “law enforcement would not be successful in getting his property back.” Wilson and Taii did not previously know each other.
Neighbors told KCPQ that mail theft had been an ongoing problem in the area. A judge is scheduled to sentence Wilson for his crimes on March 28.
