Brother of dead woman charged with murder

SEATTLE  — The older brother of a 27-year-old Kenmore woman who disappeared in 2016 and whose dismembered remains were found later in a suitcase dumped in Snohomish County has been charged with her murder.

The Seattle Times reported Tuesday that 45-year-old David Brent Haggard made a first appearance in King County Superior Court on a second-degree murder charge in the death of Jamie Haggard. His bail has been set at $2 million.

Sheriff’s detectives allege David Brent Haggard killed her, cut her into pieces and tried to burn her remains.

The charges allege the siblings had a “volatile” relationship that centered on drug use. David Haggard, described by authorities as Jamie Haggard’s half brother, has been a suspect from the beginning.

The charges allege that witnesses said the siblings fought June 9, 2016, about the home they shared and that none of her friends or acquaintances ever saw her again.

In May 2018, a crew picking up trash along Highway 522 discovered dismembered human remains in a suitcase. Detectives matched the remains to Jamie Haggard.