A 25-year-old Amazon software engineer is no longer facing murder and arson charges after King County prosecutors concluded new evidence cast serious doubt on his connection to a deadly June fire in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.
Letian Shi, arrested July 10 and charged with first-degree murder and second-degree arson, had been accused of setting the blaze that led to the death of 72-year-old Susan Lisette Klee. Firefighters found Klee unconscious just feet from her back door on June 4, and she died two days later at Harborview Medical Center.
Shi pleaded not guilty earlier this week while his attorneys challenged the probable cause used to arrest him. In their court filing, attorneys Brooks de Peyster and Rebecca Bradlow claimed the investigation was deeply flawed, with de Peyster writing that “Seattle Police have made an incorrect conclusion based off a rushed and racist misidentification.”
According to the defense, Shi spent more than 10 hours answering police questions, maintained he was at home when the fire started, and voluntarily provided access to his electronic devices to verify his location. His phone data indicated he was at his residence on the night of the fire, and housemates reportedly confirmed they had no reason to believe he left during the relevant hours.
The arrest stemmed from surveillance footage showing a man with dark hair and a dark jacket carrying a white bag near the scenes of two fires that night. Investigators linked the man to a purchase of two cheeseburgers at Dick’s Drive-In using a Mastercard issued to “Shi Letian.” Unable to locate anyone by that name, detectives reversed the order to “Letian Shi” and focused on the Amazon engineer.
The defense argued this leap was based on bias and ignored evidence, noting that no Mastercard was found in Shi’s possession and that fingerprint analysis from items at the fire scenes did not match his prints. They also pointed out discrepancies between Shi’s appearance and the man seen in surveillance footage, describing differences in facial structure, hairline, and other features.
On Monday, Superior Court Judge Brian McDonald denied a request to release Shi on home detention. Four days later, however, prosecutors moved to dismiss the case “without prejudice”, meaning charges could be refiled, citing new information that raised doubts about the suspect’s identity. Judge McDonald signed the order Friday, and Shi was released from King County Jail that evening.
Seattle police have not addressed the allegation of racial bias directly but said detectives are continuing to work with prosecutors and the victim’s family as the investigation continues. Authorities are urging anyone with information to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.
The defense maintains that the most important fact, that the man in the Dick’s footage is not Shi, was omitted from police reports. “The police found an Asian male with dark hair and a reversed name and deemed it sufficient to move forward with life-altering charges,” de Peyster wrote, calling the misidentification the central flaw in the case.
