A man currently incarcerated in New Mexico has been charged in connection with a homicide that occurred in Seattle in 2015. On February 14, 2015, friends discovered Thomas Hess lying on the floor of his First Ave. apartment, covered with blankets. When authorities arrived, they observed that Hess’ hands were bound behind his back with shoelaces, and he had a distinct smell of oven cleaner.
A can of Easy-Off oven cleaner was located near his feet, according to court documents. The medical examiner identified blunt force trauma to Hess’ face, neck, and torso, which included multiple broken bones. The cause of death was determined to be probable mechanical asphyxia, indicating that some form of physical force obstructed his ability to breathe. His death was ruled a homicide.
In April 2016, DNA results from the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab revealed a sample taken from Hess’ fingernails contained both Hess’ DNA and that of another individual: Clay Fosse, who was 26 at the time. While Fosse has an extensive criminal history outside of Washington, he has no prior convictions in the state. However, court documents indicate he had three encounters with law enforcement shortly after the murder, related to alleged assault and criminal trespass, though no charges were filed in those instances.
Fosse has been charged with second-degree murder in King County and is scheduled for arraignment on November 19. Despite serving time in New Mexico, his bail for the alleged crime in King County has been set at $5 million.
Prosecutors detailed in court documents that Fosse appears to have bound, severely assaulted, and strangled Hess. They allege he attempted to cover up his actions by using oven cleaner and concealing the victim’s body. Prosecutors emphasized that Fosse has no known ties to Seattle, King County, or Washington State, other than a brief stay in Seattle in 2015, suggesting he poses a clear danger to the community, which justified the high bail.
Fosse’s DNA was matched to a database in New Mexico, where he is serving a sentence for aggravated battery. Detectives in Washington obtained a warrant to collect a DNA sample from him, which also matched the evidence found on Hess. In May 2025, the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab reported strong evidence indicating that both Hess and Fosse contributed to the DNA samples identified on the victim.
Now 37 years old, Fosse’s criminal history dates back to 2010 and includes charges for battery, theft, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.
