Murder suspects carry out suicide pact
Story Published: Nov 18, 2008 at 10:43 PM PST
Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 4:56 AM PST
TUCSON - Two murder suspects, who once lived in Asotin County were found dead in Arizona. Police say 37-year-old Tina Loesch and 41-year-old Skye Hanson died of gunshot wounds to the head.
They were persons of interest in a 1998 killing in Post Falls as well as a murder in Pullman in 1996. The case was aired on America's Most Wanted hours before the apparent suicide pact was carried out.
Asotin County Prosecutor Ben Nichols said Tuesday that Hanson's history in the county goes back to a DWI in 1986 and Loesch back to 1996. Nichols said an arrest warrant was issued in May 2000 for welfare fraud for Tina Loesch, after the two had disappeared from the area in 1999.
Nichols says he heard rumors over the years about where they were and even that they may be dead.
Police in Tucson identified the two via fingerprints.
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The Post Falls Police Department released the following statement Tuesday concerning the deaths of Loesch and Hanson:
On January 12th, 1998, the Post Falls Police Department received a request to check the welfare of Barbara Loesch at her residence on Ponderosa Dr. It was reported that family members had been unable to make contact with Barbara for approximately two days. When officers arrived at the Loesch home, they discovered the body of Barbara Loesch in the hot tub. This discovery would mark the beginning of a 10-year investigation into the facts surrounding the death of Barbara Loesch.
In 1999, the Post Falls Police Department received the first of many breaks in this case with the arrest of Bradley Steckman. Mr. Steckman was arrested for the murder of an elderly lady in Whitman County, Washington. During the course of his trial, Mr. Steckman revealed information regarding his involvement in Barbara Loesch’s death. Mr. Steckman told Post Falls Investigators of a detailed plan, developed by Skye Hanson and her partner Tina Loesch, the daughter of Barbara. Mr. Steckman revealed that a part of the plan was to have Tina talk her mother into securing a half of a million dollar life insurance policy on herself. The intent was for Tina Loesch and Mr. Steckman to kill Barbara Loesch shortly after the policy was in place and for Tina to collect the money. When investigators tried to locate Tina and Skye, they had fled the Pullman, Washington area with Tina’s 8-year-old son Kristopher. Investigators would continue, over the next 9 years, to investigate and attempt to locate them with little to no clues to follow.
In 2003, Mr. Steckman pled guilty to his involvement in the death of Barbara Loesch. Post Falls Investigators used significant resources to locate Tina, Skye, and Kristopher. As part of this investigation, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was contacted and the U.S. Marshals Office in Spokane, Washington was assigned the task of helping to find Kristopher.
Over the next several years, investigators would continue to follow up on leads, without success. The department has expended hundreds of hours working this case. In 2008, with all leads exhausted, and tips leading investigators to believe that the women had fled the country, it was decided to seek the assistance of America’s Most Wanted. The show aired on November 15th and, within two hours after the west coast airing, the Post Falls Police Department received a call from Pima County Sheriff’s Department in Tucson, Arizona. They believed that they had discovered the bodies of Tina and Skye, in a vehicle, in what was thought to be a suicide. An expired Washington driver’s license belonging to Tina Loesch was found near one of the bodies. A note was also found, signed by Tina.
Yesterday afternoon both the bodies were positively identified as Tina Rose Loesch and Skye Marie Hanson ending the 8-year search.
The Post Falls Police Department would like to thank America’s Most Wanted, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the United States Marshals Office for their commitment in helping to resolve this case.
The Post Falls Police Department has been unable to locate Kristopher.
Locating this child continues to be a priority for the Department. We are seeking assistance from the community in locating Kristopher. It is possible he is located in the Spokane Washington area. If you have information about Kristopher, or his location please contact the Post Falls Police Department (208) 773-3517.
