Two transients have been arrested and charged with the beating death of another transient in a parking lot in the 200 block of Mercer Street around 6 p.m. on July 13, the King County Prosecutor's office has announced.
According to court documents, the victim, Roger Howerton, was drinking with two acquaintances in the U-Park lot when two other transients showed up and started to argue with the man.
The argument escalated into a fight in which Scott Wayne Schaller and William James Littledog allegedly kicked and bludgeoned How-erton with a 2-by-4, according to charging papers.
Howerton suffered a fractured skull and collapsed lung and was declared dead at the scene by med-ics, who unsuccessfully tried to revive the man, according to court documents.
Schaller - who weighs 250 pounds and stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall - was arrested later that same night. Littledog - who weighs 250 pounds and stands 5 feet, 9 inches tall - was arrested the next night.
Both men are being held in lieu of $1 million bail, and each has an extensive criminal background. According to court documents, Schaller has been convicted of separate counts of robbery and battery with serious bodily harm in California, sexual assault in Colorado and assault in Connecticut.
Littledog has been convicted of false reporting, failure to appear 14 times for court dates, assault, property destruction, fighting and five counts of theft.
Russ Zabel can be reached at Staff reporter Russ Zabel can be reached at rzabel@nwlink.com
