Court documents filed this week are pulling back the curtain on the death of 12-year-old Preston Hemingway-Lux, whose body was found in a South Tacoma apartment last September. The paperwork lays out how investigators moved to seize electronic evidence and sought a judge’s approval for a search tied to the case. While the legal process grinds on, the boy’s family and neighbors say they are still in the dark and waiting for answers.
What court papers say
According to The News Tribune, a search-warrant application states that Preston was discovered in the bedroom he shared with his older brother at an apartment in the 4000 block of South Lawrence Street. The documents say Tacoma Fire Department personnel told investigators the child was in the beginning stages of rigor mortis, and officers seized the boy’s cellphone under the warrant. The application also alleges there was probable cause to believe second-degree murder had been committed, although police say the investigation has not led to any arrests or criminal charges so far.
Medical examiner and records law
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed Preston’s identity but still lists both cause and manner of death as pending, according to the office’s media release. Under Washington law, autopsy and post-mortem reports are generally confidential, and the office said it could not confirm specific autopsy findings while the investigation remains active (RCW 68.50.105). The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office reports the case status as pending, and the state statute can be read at RCW 68.50.105.
Family and community reaction
Preston’s mother, Castonya Taylor, along with other relatives, has been publicly pressing for answers and has described him as a devoted son and a gifted basketball player. The News Tribune reports that Taylor was told by a representative of the medical examiner’s office that examiners had found an issue with her son’s heart. Relatives organized an online fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses, local outlets have amplified the family’s pleas, and neighbors say the loss has rattled the entire block.
Legal outlook
The reference to probable cause for second-degree murder in the search-warrant documents is part of investigators’ effort to obtain evidence, but it is not a criminal charging document. Prosecutors will decide whether the evidence supports formal charges only after the medical examiner issues a final ruling on cause and manner of death. Under Washington law, murder in the second degree can involve causing a death with intent but without premeditation, or causing a death during the commission of certain felonies, as outlined in RCW 9A.32.050.
The Tacoma Police Department and Pierce County investigators say the inquiry remains active and that more information will be released after the medical examiner’s review is complete. In the meantime, family members and neighbors continue to push for clarity while the official investigation runs its course.
