Former Seattle CEO Put Wife’s Body in Freezer Next to 4 Dead Cats, Police Say

David Loewe was the former CEO of Seattle Humane who is accused of shooting his wife Judy Loewe to death and then putting her body in a freezer next to four cats.

Both Loewes were found deceased at their apartment in North Bend, Washington, Snoqualmie Police wrote in a February 6 news release. Police wrote that the deaths were a “murder-suicide.”

“With assistance from the Medical Examiner’s office, both subjects were identified as Judy M. Loewe, 60 years old, of North Bend, WA, and David E. Loewe, 60 years old, of North Bend, WA,” police wrote in the release. In the release, they indicated that they believe that David Loewe murdered Judy Loewe before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Seattle Times first reported David Loewe’s former job title. According to MyNorthwest, Seattle Humane “is known for being a not-for-profit organization for animal adoptions throughout Seattle, King County and the Puget Sound area.”

Here’s what you need to know:

Police Say Maintenance Workers Discovered David Loewe’s Body as Part of a Formal Eviction Process

At 3:46 p.m. on January 31, 2024, Snoqualmie-North Bend Police Officers “responded to 964 Stone Brook Dr SW in North Bend, WA for a Death Investigation after maintenance workers discovered a deceased male during a welfare check conducted as part of a formal eviction process,” a police press release related.

During the initial investigation, “officers discovered another deceased body in a large freezer located in the apartment’s garage. The Coalition of Small Police Agencies Major Crimes Task Force and the King County Medical Examiner’s Office were then called in to assist with the full investigation,” it says.

“The investigation is still ongoing, but evidence suggests this was an isolated murder-suicide,” police reported.

Judy Loewe Was Killed by a ‘Single Gunshot’ Before She Was Placed in the Freezer, Police Said

Autopsies were completed on February 5, 2024, and “determined the male was killed by a self-inflicted single gunshot wound and the female victim was killed by a single gunshot prior to being placed in the freezer,” police wrote in the news release.

According to the Seattle Times, four dead cats were found in the freezer next to Judy Loewe, although it’s not clear how they died.

The newspaper reported that David Loewe was behind on rent so the couple was about to be evicted.

According to the Seattle Times, David, 60, was the CEO of Seattle Humane from 2011 to 2019, when he resigned. Judy, 60, and her husband volunteered at a local animal shelter and fostered cats, the newspaper reported, adding that the couple had moved to Washington State from Kansas in 2000.

David Loewe was named Seattle Humane’s CEO in 2011, five years after he joined the organization’s staff. He resigned in 2019, the Times reported.

A 2011 article in the Bellevue Reporter, which announced Loewe’s appointment as CEO, said Loewe “joined the staff at Seattle Humane Society in 2006 after serving as a volunteer. He has more than 20 years experience in management operations roles with large firms, including commercial utilities with Kansas Gas and Electric and High-Speed Passenger Rail with Talgo America.”

“We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Seattle Humane CEO David Loewe and his wife, Judy,” Seattle Humane wrote in a statement obtained by MyNorthwest. “The events surrounding their passing are troubling, and together with our community we are awaiting the results of a full investigation. Our hearts are with those affected by this terrible loss.”

David Loewe appeared in a video on Vimeo advising for-profit entities about how to become a non-profit. He advised people to volunteer where they want to work to see if they like it first.

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