Authorities say Brad Sanders was stabbed to death before the suspect set the home on fire on Feb. 1.
DES MOINES, Wash. — Hours before a King County judge ordered a murder suspect to be held on $5 million bail, a grieving mother buried her son in his Indiana hometown, more than 2,000 miles from the crime scene in Des Moines, Washington.
"It's been a very hard day. He is back in Indiana. We came out to Seattle and flew back with him and he was buried today," said Tammy Sanders, whose son Brad Sanders was previously identified as the victim of a Feb. 1 murder.
According to information provided by the Des Moines Police Department, The King County Medical Examiner's Office and the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Sanders was stabbed multiple times before the house he shared with several people, including the suspect, was set on fire.
Mrs. Sanders told KING 5 in a brief phone interview Friday that her son had his own room in the house and was living with a family he knew well.
"Everybody who knew Brad knew he was kind [and] caring. I don't know anyone who didn't like him. Even the family that he was staying with, except for one, thought he was great. He was helping them out, they were helping him out. Until his happened," she said.
Sanders moved to the Seattle area about ten years ago for work and "just loved it and stayed out there," his mother said.
On Friday, the 32-year-old suspect appeared in court, where a judge agreed to the prosecutor's request of setting bail at $5 million.
The court determined there was probable cause to hold him on pending murder and arson charges.
An autopsy revealed Sanders died of stab wounds.
Evidence suggests he died before the fire.
"Sometimes people think that they can cover up a crime with another one. But that doesn't really work. The Medical Examiner goes through and finds the information. It's just a real compounding tragedy. Ultimately, the truth will come out," said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the prosecutor.
KING 5 does not generally name suspects until formal charges are filed; prosecutors expect that to happen by Feb. 18.