Lacey woman allegedly aided murder suspect

A Lacey woman arrested for first-degree rendering criminal assistance for helping two suspects sought for the Shelton shooting death of Janus Afo pleaded not guilty at her initial arraignment Nov. 13 before Judge Monty Cobb in Mason County Superior Court.

Katherine Taylor, 42, was arrested Oct. 27 for allegedly helping William Williams, 40, and Kennedy Karpf, 25, evade police and hide in Oregon, according to Mason County Sheriff’s charging documents. Williams has been charged with second-degree murder and felony possession of a firearm and Karpf has been charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance in connection with Afo’s murder.

Taylor allegedly provided Williams and Karpf with a car to flee Washington, according to a declaration of probable cause by Shelton police officer J. Belleville.

Police received an anonymous tip Oct. 9 that Williams and Karpf were in southern Oregon driving a red Dodge Magnum and police were able to locate and arrest the pair, according to the document. The Magnum belonged to Taylor. Karpf was with Taylor in Medford, Oregon, but Taylor was not detained at the time, according to Belleville. Police found Karpf and Taylor in another vehicle, a GMC Yukon, that belonged to Taylor’s boyfriend, according to the probable cause document.

After Karpf was arrested, Belleville listened in on her jail phone call with Taylor.

“During the conversation they spoke about the red Dodge Magnum Karpf and Williams had used in order to leave the state of Washington,” Belleville wrote.

“Karpf and Taylor had a discussion about a missing gun and the red Dodge Magnum. Taylor told Karpf she got the car back to the house, but she had to use a trailer to get it back to her place. Taylor then asks Karpf where she is going to be when she gets out and if she is going to stay with Taylor. Karpf said she would love to come stay with Taylor,” according to Belleville.

Belleville said he saw the Magnum on a trailer when he drove by Taylor’s house in Lacey.

“First Taylor allowed Karpf and Williams to borrow a red Dodge Magnum bearing WA plate (BYL5301) registered to her. Followed an anonymous tip about Karpf and Williams being in a red Dodge Magnum in southern Oregon. Then Taylor being in the same vehicle as Karpf when Karpf was finally arrested. Finally Taylor retrieved both the red Dodge Magnum and White GMC Yukon from Oregon and brought them back to Washington. This showed a pattern of Taylor’s willingness to help Karpf and Williams as well as help conceal items,” Belleville wrote.

Belleville said he asked Taylor if she knew why she was under arrest and she said, “Because Brother killed someone.”

Taylor’s trial is scheduled for the last week of January.