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Mount Vernon police investigating murder-suicide

61-year-old mental health counselor had multiple gunshot wounds

By Annie Todd Criminal Justice/Enterprise Reporter

Mount Vernon police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place on Friday, Oct. 25.

Erik Johnson, 24, and Dvorah Carrasco, 61, were identified by the Skagit County Coroner’s Office as the people involved.

Carrasco was a mental health counselor at Skagit Behavioral Health. Detectives believe she knew Johnson.

Police received a report of an overdue person around 10 p.m. from friends and family of Johnson’s after he failed to return from an appointment earlier that day, Lt. Dave Shackleton said.

Officers went to Johnson’s last known location in the 400 block of South 1st Street, where Carrasco’s office is located, and found his car, Shackleton said.

Additional people on scene had reported Carrasco hadn’t returned from her appointment earlier in the day as well, Shackleton said.

Officers checked the building and found Johnson and Carrasco deceased inside, Shackleton said. A firearm that belonged to Johnson was recovered inside.

Carrasco had multiple gunshot wounds that contributed to her death, according to the Skagit County Coroner. Her death was determined to be a homicide.

Johnson had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the coroner’s report. The manner of death was determined to be suicide.


Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.

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