Puyallup Man Charged With Beating Man to Death With Frying Pan, Possession of Child Porn

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist today charged Michael Breer, 18, with one count of murder in the first degree, for the July 10, 2013, killing of 18-year-old Justin Morris, and one count of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct for images found on his cell phone. 

The victim's body has not yet been recovered, and Pierce County Sheriff's deputies are continuing their search.

“We have everything we need to prove murder,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “The investigation continues, but our prosecution will move forward with or without the body.”

According to court documents, a friend of Breer contacted law enforcement on July 13 to report that Breer had murdered Morris, who had been staying at Breer's residence. 

Breer came to the friend shortly after the murder on the morning of July 10. When the friend asked who he killed, Breer allegedly pointed to Morris' moped parked outside, which Breer had driven there. The friend asked if he killed Morris, and he replied that he did and asked for help. 

Inside Breer's residence, the friend told police he saw blood spattered on the walls, a large blood stain on the floor and a human body wrapped up in a blanket. He could not see the face because it was covered in a large plastic garbage bag, but he saw a leg sticking out of the blanket. The size of the body was consistent with Morris. 

Breer was looking for a knife and told the friend he "went through a couple of pans" in beating the victim to death. The friend observed a frying pan on the floor with a broken handle. Breer started to clean the blood stain with a small carpet-cleaning machine and asked his friend if he would drive with him out to Greenwater to dispose of the body. The friend refused to help dispose of the body and left.

Breer then contacted his uncle, Kevin Scharpf, and again admitted to the murder and asked for assistance in disposing the body. Scharpf told police that he did not help dispose of the body, but did suggest burning and burying it and let him borrow his carpet cleaning machine.

Breer was arrested and admitted to police that "something" happened at his house between him and Morris. Asked to elaborate, he stated only that Morris came at him with a knife. 

On July 16, 2013, police executed a search warrant on Breer's residence, which he shared with his mother. They observed blood spatter and stains consistent with the description provided by Breer's friend and saw there had been great efforts to cover it up. 

The splatter suggests that Morris was struck from behind and was hit multiple times on the floor. 

A search of Breer's vehicle revealed a garbage bag containing bloody clothing, Morris' wallet and identification, and a shovel and a gas can. Police also recovered two iron skillets with broken handles and a golf club with blood and hair stuck on its face.

Police searched Breer's cell phone and discovered at least one image of a juvenile male in a sexually explicit pose. There were also images of prepubescent males in only underwear, and adult males in various states of undress. Further examination of the phone may lead to more charges filed in this case.