Teen who supposedly faked his own disappearance pleads guilty to killing mom’s ex-boyfriend

OLYMPIA, Wash. (TCD) -- Two 17-year-olds, including one who allegedly faked his own disappearance, pleaded guilty this week to killing a 51-year-old man in his house last year.

Pierce County court records show Gabriel Davies and Justin Yoon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which was amended from a first-degree murder charge, in connection with Daniel McCaw’s death. Other charges, including second-degree murder, burglary, and unlawful possession of a firearm, were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

The Tacoma News Tribune reports Davies and Yoon will be held without bail until they are sentenced Nov. 3. They could face up to life in prison.

Yoon and Davies were 16 years old when they shot and stabbed McCaw, who had previously been in a relationship with Davies' mother.

Davies was reported missing "under suspicious circumstances" to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 31, 2022, after he failed to show up to football practice that day. His car was found, but Davies remained missing. On Sept. 1, 2022, at approximately 10 p.m., law enforcement officials located Davies walking along a road and brought him back to his family.

Earlier that day on Sept. 1, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a welfare check at McCaw’s home on the 21700 block of 190th Street East because he had missed four days of work. When deputies went inside, they found McCaw deceased from a gunshot wound. Yoon and Davies were arrested Sept. 2.

According to the probable cause affidavit shared by KCPQ-TV, deputies who went to McCaw’s house for the welfare check "smelled what they thought was the odor of a decaying body emanating from the closed front door of the house." They also saw a dog running in and out of the house through a dog door.

Deputies made entry to the house through the laundry room, where they found "possible blood spatter on the washing machine or dryer." Then, the deputies saw McCaw’s body on the ground surrounded by a "significant amount of blood." There was a single shell casing next to McCaw’s head.

The Medical Examiner noted McCaw sustained a gunshot wound to the head and abdomen and several stab and defensive wounds across his body. Officials ruled out suicide as the cause of death.

McCaw’s body reportedly had started decomposing, and "maggots were visible along the neck and shoulder." Detectives found an empty rifle magazine on the floor, as well as "numerous gun cases and ammunition reloading equipment" in the home.

According to the affidavit, Davies was found walking on the street wearing only shorts, but he "had no injuries to his feet or lower extremities that would be consistent with having been walking through the woods for the 36 hours that he had been missing."

Davies said he didn’t remember what happened to him when he disappeared.

Davies' father contacted law enforcement and said he believed the teen played a role in McCaw’s death. Yoon’s dad also called deputies to report he suspected Davies was involved in the murder.

The affidavit says, "The father said that his son was approached by the victim’s ‘biker buddies’ to steal something from the victim’s residence. He further stated that they threatened his son with harm if he didn’t do it."

Davies and Yoon purportedly plotted to steal certain items from McCaw’s safe, and Davies’ father said Yoon stabbed and shot McCaw, then they got rid of the gun. Davies later led detectives to the guns they stole from McCaw as well as "12 throwing knives, another pouch that contained six throwing knives, and an additional three knives that were still in their sheaths."

MORE:

• State of Washington vs. Gabriel Davies
• State of Washington vs. Justin Yoon
• Olympia teen accused of staging disappearance to avoid murder charges pleads guilty - Tacoma News Tribune
• Gabriel Davies affidavit - KCPQ
• Homicide in Orting, Two Juvenile Males Arrested, 9/2/2022 - Pierce County Sheriff's Office
• Missing Juvenile, 8/31/2022 - Thurston County Sheriff's Office