Arrest made in teen's death
Brian Walker | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 12 years AGO
A 20-year-old Post Falls man was arrested on Monday night for second-degree murder in the death case of a Spirit Lake teen after a year-long investigation.
Dylan P. Paschall was arrested on a $100,000 warrant without incident at his parents' Post Falls home.
He is suspected of having a role in the death of Luke Anana-Kuewa, 18, Spirit Lake. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, which investigated the death, released few details on the case on Tuesday.
The body of Anana-Kuewa was found dead partially submerged in a small cove on the north end of Spirit Lake known as the Mill Pond on March 25, 2012, by people walking along the shore. The lake was mostly frozen with open water near shore on much of the lake at the time.
Paul Paschall, Dylan's father, said he's stunned over the arrest and didn't see it coming.
"I'm in shock," he said on Tuesday. "We're trying to get our heads wrapped around it."
Paul said he didn't know whether his son had any contact with Anana-Kuewa before the death.
Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh, whose office reviewed the case for about six months after the KCSO investigated it for six months, declined to comment.
The KCSO did not make a recommendation to the Prosecutor's Office on whether a charge should be filed, which is not unusual in such cases, KCSO Lt. Stu Miller said.
He said the Prosecutor's Office kept the case sealed during its review of the case.
Miller said he didn't know whether there are other suspects in the case or other charges are pending.
"I don't think you've seen the last of this case," he said, adding that detectives aren't releasing much information. "It's been quite complex. I haven't seen many cases go on this long. There was a party and people left. Some people were interviewed three, four, five times to get the story straight."
Judge Scott L. Wayman found probable cause in the case on Monday and issued the warrant for Paschall's arrest.
Paschall's bond was set at $100,000 by Judge Penny Friedlander during his first appearance on Tuesday afternoon. He was still being held at the Kootenai County jail late Tuesday afternoon. Paschall, who previously lived in Spirit Lake, was assigned a public defender.
Miller said the $100,000 bond is fairly low for a second-degree murder charge. A first-degree murder charge generally implies the alleged act was pre-meditated, while a second-degree charge does not.
John Adams of the Kootenai County Defender's Office did not return a phone message seeking comment. Miller said the Defenders Office said it doesn't want Paschall to comment.
Throughout the investigation, detectives wouldn't say whether it appeared Awana-Kuewa's death was an accident or suspicious based on their information. The Kootenai County Coroner's Office on Tuesday said it didn't have any information on the death.
Anana-Kuewa's family members, however, said after his body was found that they suspected foul play based on marks on his body. Some witnesses told the family Anana-Kuewa committed suicide after doing drugs, but others believed he was attacked.
Law enforcement sources earlier said a group of teens who were at the party were questioned in the case, but declined to elaborate.
Anana-Kuewa's parents moved from Spirit Lake to Hawaii two years ago, but Anana-Kuewa and his sister moved back and stayed with friends.
According to Paschall's Facebook page, he has worked at the Post Falls Burger King and is engaged. His previous criminal history as an adult was an arrest for possession of a controlled substance in March 2011.
A preliminary hearing for Paschall will be scheduled within the next 14 days.
MORE IMPORTED STORIES
ARTICLES BY BRIAN WALKER

Two arrests made in heroin trafficking case
POST FALLS — Two Shoshone County men were arrested in a heroin trafficking case during a traffic stop on Interstate 90 at Post Falls last week.

Ingraham charged with first-degree murder
The 20-year-old nephew of a Post Falls man found dead in Boundary County in September has been charged with first-degree murder of his uncle.
Is arming teachers a good idea or over-reaction?
No movement in region to go that route to enhance school safety
While the idea of arming teachers, as a means to increase school safety, is catching on in some areas, there’s no such momentum in Kootenai County.