An Aberdeen man appeared in court Monday afternoon, charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.
Steven Shay Smith, 35, is currently in custody in the county jail, according to the county website.
Smith was transported to Summit Pacific Medical Center on Thursday as public safety personnel responded to a 911 call and discovered the body of Bryce Bitar, 34, dead under suspicious circumstances in a residence in Hoquiam, The Daily World previously reported.
Smith was a person of interest in the investigation, said Lt. Brian Dayton of the Hoquiam Police Department, but wasn’t charged with anything until more information was developed.
“He was in the hospital for treatment,” Dayton said. “He wasn’t being charged yet, as we were still investigating the case, so there wasn’t a guard put on him.”
On Saturday, there was a brief consternation as Smith’s whereabouts became unclear due to a miscommunication.
“On Saturday about 11:15 a.m.. Sgt. (Jerad) Spaur called the hospital to get a status update. We were advised (Smith) had been discharged 10 minutes prior to Sgt. Spaur calling,” Dayton said. “Sgt. Spaur started making calls to the Elma Police Department, calling dispatch, calling State Patrol.”
Within about 15 minutes, Dayton said, Smith’s location had been narrowed down.
“It was approximately 11:30ish time frame that we got information that he got a courtesy ride by shuttle to the mission in Aberdeen,” Dayton said. “Aberdeen units took him into custody for us and he was transported here to Hoquiam PD.”
Smith was interviewed, and based on that interview, charged in the death of Bitar, Dayton said. He was taken to county jail and made his first appearance in Grays Harbor Superior Court on Monday.
Police are continuing the investigation, Dayton said. Bitar was autopsied late last week, revealing that he died from blunt force trauma to the head, Dayton said.
“We’re continuing the process,” Dayton said. “We’re putting the link together of how they met and knew each other.”
Judge Katherine Svoboda presided over his initial appearance, setting his bail at $500,000 and scheduling his arraignment for later in the month.
Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.
