A July 31 death in Issaquah, Washington has produced a second-degree murder charge against Tyler Sorensen, 22, a Costco employee who King County prosecutors say steered his car into the lane of a co-worker riding a motorcycle. That co-worker, Jonathon Langdon, 20, was thrown into a metal signpost and killed. The charge rests on statements Sorensen allegedly made to investigators, documented in court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The sequence
According to the affidavit, Sorensen followed Langdon out of a Costco parking lot in Issaquah, a Seattle suburb, then swerved into his lane and struck the motorcycle. The impact threw Langdon into a metal signpost. He died.
Sorensen drove away from the scene. He returned an hour later, accompanied by a family member, and spoke with Issaquah Police Department investigators. The affidavit does not describe a remorseful pause at the curb. It states he "continued on his way without hesitation, only stopping to make sure his vehicle was okay to drive home."
The alleged motive
Sorensen told investigators the trigger was a hug. He had watched Langdon embrace a female co-worker he described as his girlfriend and sent friends text messages saying his "blood is boiling" before following Langdon out of the lot.
That co-worker told investigators she and Sorensen had never been in a relationship and that she had previously told him he was "crossing boundaries." Her account and his description of the relationship are incompatible on the basic question of whether one existed.
Sorensen's stated intent
Sorensen told law enforcement his actions were "stupid" and that he had meant only to "spook" Langdon, not strike him. Prosecutors charged him with second-degree murder. Issaquah Police Chief Steve Mylett said the department's "hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim as they process this tragic loss of life." Fox News Digital reported it had contacted the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for comment.