Seattle Man Cleared of Murder Charges in Arson Case

A man from Seattle who was facing first-degree murder charges related to arson has been cleared after questions arose about his identity being misidentified.

Lettian Sea, 25, was linked to two fires that occurred in the Wallingford area of Seattle on June 4. One fire destroyed the home of 72-year-old Susan Lisette Klee.

Shi was initially charged on July 14, entered a not-guilty plea on August 4, and was held on a $4 million bail. Reports indicated that Shi was connected to the case through surveillance footage and receipts from a local drive-in burger chain. However, his defense pointed out that the credit card used at the drive-in was registered to someone named Shi Letian, not Leitan Shi. They also argued that the surveillance footage failed to clearly identify him and that his phone records showed he was at home during the incident.

Prosecutors claimed that the man in the video had defining characteristics matching Sea’s and noted that he lived just a short distance from the fire site. They also referenced a suspicious figure seen with a dark canister on the night of the fire, indicating they found a similar canister in Shi’s bedroom.

On August 9, the King County Attorney’s Office revealed that new evidence had come to light that challenged the initial findings. Consequently, the prosecution submitted a motion to dismiss the case, leading to the judge’s approval on August 8.

The statement from KCPAO noted, “Due to new information raising questions about the identity of the subject, the state moves to dismiss it without prejudice, and he has been released from custody as these charges against Mr. Shi are awaiting further investigation in the interest of justice.”

While the investigation into the arson murder remains ongoing, prosecutors have indicated that they could reconsider charges if future evidence supports that direction.