Yesterday brought the publication of a new Stranger, in which this item appears in my most recent Last Days column:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 The week continues with the infuriating return of Billy Chambers, who first warranted Last Days' attention in late 2008, when a then 15-year-old Chambers and two friends robbed and fatally beat Ed McMichael, better known as Seattle's Tuba Man, who regularly shared his tuba talents outside Seattle's sports and entertainment venues, until his untimely death. "After serving a few months in juvenile detention, Chambers was released," reports Chris Ingalls at KING 5 News. "He re-offended in a similar type of armed robbery last year. He'd been out of jail for only two weeks, after finishing out his sentence, at the time of Monday night's bus disturbance." Which flings us back to last night, when a now 18-year-old Chambers was arrested after allegedly refusing to pay the fare on a Metro bus and bragging about his prior crimes to responding officers. As King County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart told KING 5, "What he said was that, 'I was one of the people that stomped the tuba man to death. I only got three months. My attorney got me off. He'll get me off this charge as well.'" Today, Billy Chambers was released from jail, after a King County judge failed to find probable cause to hold him on the bus disturbance.
Today brought a response and clarification from Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff's Office (bolds in email are mine)...
One small correction on your piece today about Billy Chambers, one of the kids who stomped the tuba man to death. You quoted KING-TV who said in the their story, â..after a King County judge failed to find probable cause to hold himâ. This is not exactly the case. KING had it wrong and corrected (or was going to correct) subsequent stories. Our probable cause was just fine and certainly more than adequate.
The fact is that after someone is arrested, they have whatâs called a âprobable cause hearingâ in front of a judge. That has to take place (generally ) within 24 hours of arrest. The arresting officer does not appear but the judge reads the probable cause documents supplied by the Prosecutorâs Office as forwarded to them by the arresting deputy. By reading the sworn documents the judge can determine if there was probable cause for the arrest. We get the paperwork to the PAO via fax. However that night their fax machine was acting up so they never got the paperwork. With nothing to present to the judge, Chambers had to be released.
Our deputies had excellent probable cause and we expect charges to be filed, if they havenât already. Thanks for letting me clear this up!
Thank you for the clarification and info, Sgt. Urquhart, and full speed ahead with charges against Billy Chambers.







