The Kirkland Police Department has launched a new Cold Case webpage to highlight unsolved cases that remain under investigation. The page serves as a central location where the public can learn about ongoing cold cases, share information with detectives, and help bring long-awaited closure to victims and their families.
At this time, the page features one case: the 2006 homicide of 23-year-old John Austin Schuoler. On September 15, 2006, Schuoler was found deceased in his Kirkland apartment by his roommate. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma, ruling it a homicide. Despite an extensive investigation, a suspect was not charged, and the case remains unsolved.
“Every unsolved case represents a family still waiting for answers,” said Kirkland Police Chief St. Jean. “Our detectives remain dedicated to finding the truth, and we hope that renewed public attention will inspire someone to come forward with information that helps bring justice for John and his loved ones.”
The Cold Case webpage will be updated as additional unsolved cases are added or new information becomes available. Community members are encouraged to visit the page and contact the Investigations Division with any information by submitting an online tip.
The Cold Case webpage launch represents Kirkland Police Department’s strategic shift toward crowdsourcing investigations, leveraging public memory and information that witnesses may have withheld in 2006 but might now be willing to share nearly two decades later.
The single case featuring John Austin Schuoler’s 2006 homicide suggests either Kirkland’s remarkably low unsolved murder rate or the department’s phased rollout strategy where additional cases will appear as detectives prepare materials and assess which investigations might benefit most from renewed attention.
The September 15, 2006 date places Schuoler’s murder nearly 19 years ago, with the passage of time potentially loosening loyalties or fears that prevented witnesses from cooperating when the killing was fresh and suspects potentially dangerous.
The 23-year-old victim age indicates Schuoler was in the early stages of adulthood when killed, possibly a recent college graduate or young professional whose life and potential contributions were cut short by violence.
The roommate discovery of Schuoler’s body suggests the killing occurred while the roommate was absent, either at work, traveling, or staying elsewhere, with the timeline between death and discovery potentially complicating the investigation as evidence degraded.
The blunt force trauma cause of death indicates Schuoler was beaten or struck with an object rather than shot or stabbed, with this method suggesting either spontaneous violence using available weapons or a killer who lacked firearms access.
The King County Medical Examiner’s homicide ruling establishes that Schuoler’s death was not accidental or natural, with forensic evidence indicating intentional violence rather than fall injuries or other non-criminal explanations for the trauma.
The extensive investigation without suspect charges suggests either lack of physical evidence linking anyone to the crime, insufficient witness cooperation to build prosecutable cases, or suspects with alibis that investigators couldn’t disprove despite suspicions.
Chief St. Jean’s emphasis that “every unsolved case represents a family still waiting for answers” humanizes cold case work beyond statistics, acknowledging the Schuoler family’s nearly two-decade wait for justice and closure.
The hope that “renewed public attention will inspire someone to come forward” reflects investigative reality where witnesses who remained silent in 2006 due to fear, loyalty, or ignorance of what they knew may now feel safe or compelled to share information.
The webpage’s planned updates as additional cases are added indicates Kirkland Police maintain multiple unsolved homicides or serious crimes beyond Schuoler’s murder, with the department likely prioritizing which cases to feature based on solvability factors.
The online tip submission option provides anonymous reporting mechanism where witnesses can share information without face-to-face contact with detectives, reducing barriers for people nervous about formal police interviews or public association with investigations.
The 2006 timeframe predates widespread social media, smartphone ubiquity, and surveillance camera proliferation that now characterize investigations, meaning the Schuoler case lacks digital evidence trails that contemporary homicides generate.
The Kirkland apartment location places the murder in an Eastside city known for low violent crime rates, with homicides sufficiently rare that a single unsolved case from 2006 warrants dedicated webpage rather than being lost among dozens of cold cases.
The roommate living situation suggests either young professionals or students sharing housing costs, with the domestic setting indicating Schuoler knew his killer or the perpetrator gained entry through unlocked doors or deception.
The blunt force trauma method potentially leaves less forensic evidence than shootings or stabbings where bullets and weapons can be traced, with the killer possibly using improvised weapons that were discarded or common household items that couldn’t be definitively linked to the crime.
The nearly 19-year gap since Schuoler’s death means potential witnesses are now middle-aged adults whose life circumstances, relationships, and willingness to cooperate may have changed dramatically from 2006 when they were young and possibly protecting friends or romantic partners.
The King County Medical Examiner’s involvement rather than just Kirkland police indicates standard protocol for homicides where independent pathologists determine cause and manner of death, preventing law enforcement bias from influencing death classifications.
The case remaining unsolved despite extensive investigation suggests sophisticated criminals, destroyed evidence, or witness intimidation that prevented the case from advancing beyond the initial investigative phase to arrests and prosecution.
Seattle-area true crime enthusiasts and amateur investigators active on Reddit, Facebook groups, and podcasts may examine the Schuoler case following the webpage launch, potentially generating leads through crowd-sourced analysis that professional investigators overlooked.
The webpage initiative reflects national trends where cold case units leverage technology and public engagement to solve decades-old crimes, with genetic genealogy, renewed witness interviews, and fresh analytical perspectives breaking cases that seemed permanently stalled.
