Costco Employee Charged With Coworker's Murder in Jealous Rage Killing
A 22-year-old Costco employee has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly ramming his car into a coworker's motorcycle in a fit of jealousy, killing him almost instantly.
Tyler Sorensen was arrested after allegedly following his 20-year-old coworker, Jonathon Langdon, out of a Costco parking lot in Issaquah, Washington, on the evening of July 31. According to court documents obtained by KOMO News, Sorensen swerved lanes and struck Langdon's motorcycle around 9 p.m., sending him into the air. Langdon was thrown from the bike and collided with a street sign, and paramedics were unable to save him at the scene.
Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the collision was intentional. The Issaquah Police Department said in a statement that the crash "was a suspected intentional act," adding that "the driver left the scene without stopping or rendering aid."
A Jealous Fixation on a Coworker
According to prosecutors, Sorensen had followed Langdon after seeing him hug a female coworker, Samantha Peterson, with whom Sorensen was reportedly infatuated. Sorensen told investigators he believed he and Peterson were in a relationship, but Peterson told detectives the two had never dated, that they were "just friends," and that she had repeatedly told Sorensen he was "crossing boundaries" and that she "needed space."
Sorensen reportedly described his reaction to seeing the hug during questioning. "While we were together, she always insisted he was just a friend. So I got pretty, I don't know, panicked, riled up, just adrenaline," he allegedly told police, according to court documents cited by KOMO News.
Sorensen's Admission to Police
Sorensen did not stop at the scene. According to the Issaquah Police Department, he returned about an hour later accompanied by a family member, after his father learned of the crash and brought him back to turn himself in. On his way home following the crash, he had also been stopped and cited for speeding by a Washington State Patrol trooper who was unaware a fatal collision had just occurred nearby.
Once in custody, Sorensen allegedly admitted to intentionally striking Langdon's motorcycle. "It was stupid but I, I was, I meant to do it," he reportedly told detectives. He also said he "didn't mean to hit" Langdon and had only intended to "spook him." Text messages Sorensen allegedly sent to friends after the crash reportedly read, "my blood is boiling" and "I f---ed up bad."
Charges and Next Steps
Sorensen has been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and criminal attempt in connection with Langdon's death. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and a judge set his bail at $2 million, ordering him held in custody.
As with any pending criminal case, Sorensen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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