Two Yelm residents accused of helping dispose of a body after a fatal shooting are being held in the Thurston County jail in lieu of bail. Thurston County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested Danny Lee Alford, 28, and Tessla Kerrsten Moore, 33, on Thursday, June 13, on suspicion of first-degree rendering criminal assistance, unlawful disposal of human remains and tampering with physical evidence. Their arrests resulted from a homicide investigation that started on June 7, when a man's body was found buried near the Nisqually River.
Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock identified the deceased as Robert Erwin, who had been reported missing in the Yelm area. Court records in the cases against Alford and Moore have since revealed new details about the investigation. Alford and Moore attended their preliminary hearings in Thurston County Superior Court on Friday, June 14.
Judge Nathan Kortokrax found probable cause for the alleged crimes and set bail at $75,000 for Alford and $50,000 for Moore. In doing so, Kortokrax determined Alford and Moore may seek to intimidate witnesses or interfere with the case. He also found the court could not reasonably be assured Alford would attend his next hearings without conditions.
Alford was previously convicted of third-degree theft twice, second-degree criminal trespass and knowingly possessing a controlled substance in Yelm, according to court records. Moore also has two third-degree theft convictions on her record, one from a Thurston County.