Warning: This story contains graphic sexual content.
SPOKANE, Wash -- A former Pasco police officer pleaded not guilty to the charge of first degree murder in connection to the death of a Spokane woman in 1986.
Richard Aguirre, 56, is charged with first degree murder in connection to the murder of 27-year-old Ruby Doss. He was previously charged with her murder in 2015. It was dismissed in 2017 due to a lack of evidence.
“Certificate of probable cause they filed with the cause number—the 2020 cause number is the exact same Certificate of probable cause they filed in 2015,' Aguirre's lawyer John Browne told KREM 2. "So if they didn't have evidence to support this case in December of 2017 why do they now?”
The new murder charge was filed Sept. 11, according to court documents. His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 12. Aguirre's trial is expected to start Oct. 26.
On June 2, 2015, Spokane police arrested Aguirre for Doss’ murder. Exactly 29 years from the day she died, police matched DNA found at the scene to Aguirre. According to court documents, Doss suffered blunt force trauma to her head and neck. An autopsy determined she died of strangulation.
According to court documents, Doss’ body was discovered on Jan. 30, 1986 next to a building of Spokane Moulding Corporation on East Ferry. Her boyfriend at the time said they were homeless and she was supporting them through prostitution, documents say. He told police Doss left their motel room on East Sprague around 6:30 p.m. on the day of her death in a taxi, documents say.
Doss' boyfriend said she usually checked in every two hours but she didn’t that day. Her boyfriend told police she was always armed with a knife and was “paranoid” about being hurt because of her petite size, documents say.
Court documents say investigators believe Doss had a sexual encounter with the suspect and an altercation ensued. Detectives believe Doss drew her knife at some point but was disarmed and she ran to the area where her body was later found, documents say.
The suspect attempted to hide her belongings in a manure pit, documents say. Investigators also found a steak knife and a used condom, documents say.
According to court documents, in 1989 the contents of the condom were sent to a DNA lab where a DNA extract was developed.
In 2001, court documents say investigators submitted that DNA to another lab to develop a DNA profile and was sent to the Washington State Patrol Laboratory. The profile was then put into the Combined DNA Index system, also known as CODIS. Documents say there were no matches at the time.
On Jan. 30, 2015, court documents say a forensic scientist notified investigators that the DNA from the condom found near Doss’ belongings was a match for Aguirre. Documents say, at the time, Aguirre was also a suspect in an ongoing sexual assault case in Franklin County.
According to court records, a longtime friend of Aguirre’s said Aguirre admitted to him that he “hit a woman in the head” and “choked her.” Aguirre told him when he walked away he thought “she was still moving,” documents say.
Documents say Aguirre was in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base from Jan. 30, 1984 to Jan. 30, 1988. He was hired by the Pasco Police Department in 1988 and worked as a police officer until November 2014, when he was accused of sexual assault and placed on administrative leave, documents say. He resigned when murder allegations surfaced.
“The concerns I have about the court file is, I have a certified copy of the United States Air Force records that show Mr. Aguirre was in Korea at the time of the victim's death," Browne said. "That original certified copy was in the court file, which we've not been told the court file has been destroyed. So that could be a big problem for the state and the court.”
Court records say when Aguirre was initially confronted with the murder allegation, “Aguirre did not deny killing Doss.”
Aguirre was found not guilty of raping and assaulting a woman in March 2017. It was the second trial on allegations that he assaulted the woman after going out for dinner and drinks. A mistrial was declared in the initial trial in the summer of 2016 after a jury said it couldn't reach a unanimous verdict.