Clues Sought in 2001 U.S. Attorney's Murder

Thomas C. Wales, an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle and a father of two, specialized in fraud investigations. He was active in civic organizations and was the president of a local gun-safety group.

Seeking Information
In the Murder of a Federal Prosecutor

10/13/06

The individual in this police sketch may have been a witness to the crime or may have other information about the murder.

We need your help to solve a cold-blooded murder. Five years ago this week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Wales was gunned down as he worked at his home computer in Seattle, Washington.

We believe the shooter stood in Wales’ backyard at about 10:40 p.m. on October 11, 2001, and fired several shots through the basement window at Wales. He died early the next morning. Witnesses saw a lone man flee the scene.

The U.S. Department of Justice continues to offer up to a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the murder.

Wales, an 18-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle and a father of two, specialized in fraud investigations. He was active in civic organizations and was the president of a local gun-safety group.

In the past five years, we’ve tracked down dozens of tips provided by the public. To generate more leads, we’ve unveiled an updated Seeking Information poster dedicated to the case, including a link and other directions for submitting tips to the FBI.

Our updated Seeking Information poster also includes:

• A sketch of this man. This individual may have been a witness to the crime or may have other information about the murder.
• Details on the murder weapon: although the actual weapon hasn’t been found, our extensive tests indicate that it was a 9x18mm Makarov pistol with a replacement barrel distributed by the Federal Arms Corporation of America. See a photograph of this type of pistol.
• Three new photographs of Wales and additional biographical information;
• A video of Thomas Wales, courtesy of the Thomas C. Wales Foundation;

	A letter postmarked January 23, 2006, claimed credit for the murder. Read more about it

• Links to an anonymous letter postmarked January 23, 2006, claiming credit for the murder. Our field office in Seattle, which is investigating the homicide jointly with the Seattle Police Department, released the contents of the letter in April. The letter contains some factual inaccuracies and unrealistic claims, and it does not contain any details that haven’t been released to the public. However, investigators say the author could be connected to the murder. They are particularly interested that the author included the word “Gidget” in the return address name.

We urge you to take a close look at all the information provided on the Thomas C. Wales webpage and contact us with any tips either by using our online tips page or by calling us toll free at 1-866-322-7009.

Links: FBI Seattle