A small community in Ravensdale was rocked by a murder last week.
According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, the body of a local 53 year-old man was found on 329th Place Southeast, just north of Kanaskat-Palmer State Park, around 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 21.
The man was identified by his wife on social media later as Nick Valison.
Details about the incident are scarce, as KCSO’s Major Crimes unit and Tanie Valison want to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
Tanie, who is a board member of the Black Diamond Community Center, described the morning before her husband was killed in a Facebook post.
“Nick greeted the morning of September 21st as he would any other day with a smile on his face and a positive attitude. Excited about what the day had in store for him, he drank his cup of black coffee in his favorite chair as the sun came up over our beautiful Ravensdale and prepared for his morning neighborhood stroll with his beloved Alaskan Malamute, Nanuk,” she wrote. “While lacing up his tennis shoes, he proudly commented to his wife and daughter on how he had logged over 625 miles in those exact sneakers and he would retire them by the day’s end. Tragically… senselessly… his life was taken just a few minutes later.”
Valison and his family moved to Ravensdale in 2012; the couple has two young daughters. A candlelight vigil was held Sept. 24 at Ravensdale Park.
According to a GoFundMe that is raising money for Valison’s family, he was “warned that a suspicious vehicle and U-haul were at one of the neighbors vacant lots, he happened upon them to assess the situation. There has been an ongoing issue of illegal dumping in the neighborhood for years, with little help from the authorities to patrol and protect the streets, as they are understaffed and cover too large of a geographical area. Unarmed and alone, our dear friend and neighbor was brutally attacked and killed.”
The King County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed these details.
The GoFundMe has raised more than $33,500, and had a goal of just $30,000.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call Detective Sarah Gerlitz at 206-296-3311.
