PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Two teens pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Wednesday in the death of a 51-year-old Orting man in September of 2022.
Gabriel Davies, 17, and Justin Yoon, 17, face 10 years in prison for the murder of Daniel McCaw. They will be officially sentenced on Nov. 6.
Davies and Yoon were 16 when McCaw was killed. The cause of his death was multiple gunshot and stab wounds.
On Sept. 1, 2022, Pierce County deputies responded to a home on 190th Street East in Orting regarding a welfare check for McCaw who failed to show up to work for his past four shifts. Deputies smelled what they thought was the odor of a decaying body and saw a German shepherd running in the house and into the backyard.
Deputies saw blood spatter inside a laundry room and found the victim's body.
First responders found a single spent shell casing near the victim's body and noted a possible gunshot wound to his head, according to charging documents. It was later discovered the victim was shot and stabbed.
Detectives recovered a DVR for a surveillance system at the victim's residence and found two empty gun holsters with no handguns in the house.
Using the victim's surveillance footage, detectives identified Davies and Yoon entering the victim's home on Aug. 28, 2022.
Detectives learned from the victim's supervisor that he had previously been in a relationship with Davies' mother.
A detective spoke with members of Davies' family who said he and Yoon went camping at Panther Lake with friends and family between Aug. 27-28, 2022. Family said the two left a cabin on Aug. 28 shortly after midnight and returned around 6:30 a.m. They left again shortly before noon that day and did not return.
Davies was then reported missing on Aug. 31, according to charging documents.
Davies was found on Sept. 1, about three miles from where his vehicle was abandoned. Davies' vehicle was found in the Tenino area of Thurston County. The vehicle had exterior damage and suspected blood was found on the steering wheel and driver's door panel.
Davies initially told detectives he could not remember what happened to him or where he was while he was missing, according to court documents. Then he said he could not say what happened to him because people would hurt him. He admitted to damaging his cellphone – found near his vehicle – because he was afraid police would find what was on it.
On Sept. 2, 2022, Davies' father called a detective to report his son was involved in the victim's death, according to court documents. His father said Davies was approved by the victim's "biker buddies" to steal something from his home, adding that they threatened his son if he didn't. The two, according to the father, developed a plot to steal something from a safe. The father confirmed the two snuck into the home through a dog door, as seen on surveillance footage.
Davies' father told detectives that his son said the bikers – allegedly members of an outlaw motorcycle club – followed him, pulled him out of his vehicle, and roughed him up. He claimed the blood in Davies' truck was from the bikers smashing Davies' face against the interior of the vehicle.
Davies later showed detectives where he and Yoon ditched two firearms they stole from the victim's home, according to charging documents. They matched the empty holsters.