SEATTLE -- The manhunt for a murder suspect has concluded with the arrest of 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack, wanted for the fatal stabbing of King County Metro bus driver Shawn Yim. Seattle police apprehended Sitzlack, thanks in part to the quick actions of Metro bus driver Timothy Nelson.
Nelson, who has been driving for Metro for six years, described the moment Sitzlack was caught as a "rush of emotions." He said he felt anxious and on edge, determined to ensure the suspect did not escape.
"There's some relief that he's behind bars," Nelson said.
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Nelson recognized Sitzlack after police removed his hood and facemask.
"I had the police bulletin in my pocket for two days doing my best to remember what he looked like," Nelson said. "As soon as I saw his face, I'm like, that's him."
Police reported that a witness saw the suspect riding the E Line. Nelson, upon receiving the description, noticed Sitzlack asleep at the back of his bus and immediately alerted authorities.
"He had no idea what was happening," Nelson said.
Nelson expressed mixed emotions of relief and anger over the murder of Yim, with whom he had grown close. "He was always just really nice, always good with a joke or a quip, and just really caring," Nelson said.
Transit union leaders have voiced concerns over the safety of their members, who were left in fear without a suspect description for a day and a half. Greg Woodfill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union 587, said, "Anger, anger, our members had to go about a day and a half with no description terrified to work not knowing who to look for to help find him."
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Following the fatal stabbing, union workers are calling for immediate action, including increased police presence. "We need to quit talking about it," Woodfill said. "I've been calling for five months to have a task force for transit safety in this area, I've talked to every politician in this area and it hasn't happened."
Yim's murder is the first time in 26 years that a Metro bus driver has been killed on the job. In November 1998, a passenger shot a driver in the head, causing the bus to drive off the Aurora Avenue bridge in Seattle.
Sitzlack was previously arrested in November 2023 for the murder of his roommate, but was not charged due to insufficient evidence to disprove his self-defense claims.
Sitzlack is expected to appear in King County court for Yim's murder as early as Monday afternoon.