A Marysville man was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 6 nearly nine months after the murder of 48-year-old Henry “Hank” King of Bellingham.
Elijah J. Belmont, 22, allegedly shot King to death near the boardwalk spanning Taylor Dock and Boulevard Park on March 12, police said. With assistance from nearby agencies, Bellingham police arrested Belmont at his Marysville residence Wednesday morning, and he is currently being held without bail in Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder.
King, who was homeless, was well known by those who frequent Boulevard Park. He often sat at a bench near the park’s boardwalk, chatting with passersby and showing off his collection of sports trading cards.
Following his death, hundreds of people shared on social media memories and interactions they had with him, describing King as a “kind, funny, gentle” man. Shortly after his death, a GoFundMe fundraised money for a commemorative bench in King’s honor. The bench has not been installed as of Dec. 7.
“He was super kind. Other than killing a fish, he’d never hurt anything,” longtime friend Jason Sanders said of King in March. “You could see by the way he was able to talk to anybody in the community that he was approachable.”
Bellingham police said they initially had “very little information to work with” when investigating King’s murder. Two separate witnesses had heard gunshots around 4 a.m. that morning, and investigators found blood and 9mm casings at the crime scene, according to police.
Through cell phone data, investigators learned Belmont’s phone was active at the time and area of the murder, police said. They also discovered Belmont had access to multiple 9mm pistols. Police obtained a search warrant and found the suspected murder weapon. In an interview with investigators, Belmont allegedly admitted to shooting King. The investigation is ongoing.
“Every homicide victim deserves justice. I am so grateful for our talented and relentless detectives who worked extremely hard with very little initial information. I want to personally and publicly thank them for their efforts,” Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig said in a Wednesday Facebook post.
Update: Police officials believe more individuals have information pertinent to the investigation. They ask anyone with information to contact Detective Travis Hauri at 360-778-8791. Information can also be shared through http://www.cob.org/tips or by calling the non-emergency dispatch line at 360-676-6911.
Opportunity Council will host the Homeless Persons’ Memorial from 5:30–6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21 at Bellingham City Hall, 210 Lottie St. The memorial will honor homeless members of the community who died this year. The event will include music, a prayer and candles to light. A video livestream and recording will be made available for anyone unable to attend in person, according to the Opportunity Council.
