Authorities have confirmed the three people found dead in an Aug. 9 house fire in Skagit County died by gunshot before the fire, according to an Aug. 17 press release from the Mount Vernon Police Department.
Jason M. Birman, 49, who was originally wanted for questioning by police, now has a warrant out for his arrest on three counts of second-degree murder.
The victims are: Jason Birman's wife, Erin Birman, 52; her 19-year-old son, Taylor Dawson, and his girlfriend, Jillian Whitney Van Boven, 18, according to the release. They were all Skagit County residents.
It was determined that the victims were all killed by gunshots after a weeklong examination by the Skagit County Coroner's Office. The fire completely destroyed a two-story residence at 15280 State Route 530 south of Rockport, just east of Concrete.
Birman has been missing since the Aug. 9 fire, along with his blue 1994 Chevrolet pickup truck, Washington license plate number C67636L.
Birman is known to spend time in Whatcom County and is an avid four-wheeler, according to a news release from the Mount Vernon Police Department.
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