Suspect arrested in slaying of former talk-show host

Seattle police have arrested a suspect in the slaying of former KIRO radio talk-show host Mike Webb, whose decomposing body was found inside his house June 28.

The 28-year-old man being held at the King County Jail for investigation of murder is Webb's former roommate.

The suspect was arrested Wednesday at Trolley Hill Park on Queen Anne Hill after officers were tipped to his location, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said during a news conference this afternoon.

Metz said the two men met in November. The suspect moved in with Webb a short time later.

Metz said police believe the man killed Webb and then lived in various city parks.

Webb's body was found by a property manager in a Queen Anne home that Webb rented. The 51-year-old was reported missing May 14; he apparently hadn't been seen since mid-April.

John McMullen, a longtime friend of Webb's, said that Webb had given the suspect a place to live while he worked through drug addiction recovery.

"Mike had been in recovery and he tried to help many in the gay and lesbian community as a sponsor," McMullen said.

Bill Korum, owner of Puyallup Nissan, said the suspect stole a Nissan that Korum had given Webb to test drive and review on his Internet radio show. Korum said that when the suspect returned the car to Webb about a week later the suspect called Korum.

"He said 'I was out of line' and 'it's not something I'd normally do,' " Korum said.

The Times is not naming the suspect because he has not yet been charged.

Webb, a 10-year KIRO employee who hosted a liberal late-night talk show, was fired from the station shortly after he was charged with insurance fraud in December 2005.

Prosecutors said that Webb filed a fraudulent insurance claim after a traffic accident in June 2005. Geico investigators testified that he bought the policy the day after the accident and then submitted a claim asserting he purchased it five weeks earlier.

A King County judge declared a mistrial after some jurors saw Webb handcuffed outside the courthouse. Seattle police said he was acting "irrational and irate."

Webb was convicted of insurance fraud in February after a second trial and sentenced to 240 hours of community service and fined $1,000.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com