SEATTLE — A man already behind bars in New Mexico has been charged in connection with a 2015 homicide in Seattle.
On Feb. 14, 2015, friends found Thomas Hess lying on his back, covered in blankets on the floor of his First Ave. apartment. When police arrived, they found that Hess’ hands were tied behind his back with shoelaces, and he smelled like oven cleaner.
A can of Easy-Off oven cleaner was found near his feet, court documents said.
A medical examiner found blunt force injuries to Hess’ face, neck and torso, which included several broken bones. His cause of death was probable mechanical asphyxia-- which means some physical force or abnormality interfered with the delivery of oxygen. His death was ruled a homicide.
In April 2016, the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab (WSPCL) got DNA results back from a sample taken from the victim’s fingernails. Hess’ DNA came back, along with another person: Clay Fosse, then 26, court documents said.
Fosse’s DNA matched a database in New Mexico. He was incarcerated there for an unrelated crime, and detectives in Washington got a warrant to swab his cheek for a DNA sample. According to court documents, those also matched the sample found on Hess.
In May 2025, WSPCL submitted its report with its findings that there was “very strong support that Hess and Fosse were the contributors” of the DNA samples found on Hess, according to court documents.
Fosse, now 37, is serving time in New Mexico for aggravated battery. According to court documents, he has an extensive out-of-state criminal history dating back to 2010, for crimes including battery, theft, kidnapping, and false imprisonment.
While prosecutors say his history is extensive out-of-state, he does not have any convictions in Washington.
However, court documents say he had contact with law enforcement three times in the weeks after the murder, for alleged assault and criminal trespass. No charges were ever filed in those alleged crimes.
Fosse has been charged with second-degree murder for Hess in King County.
Even though he is serving time in New Mexico, bail has been set at $5 million for the alleged King County crime.
“In the present case, the defendant appears to have bound, severely beaten, and strangled the victim to death. He then appears to have attempted to conceal his presence by dousing the victim in oven cleaner and covering his body. The defendant does not appear to have any ties to Seattle, King County, or Washington State, save for the few months he appears to have been in Seattle in 2015 as documented by his police contacts. Given the clear danger he would pose to the community and his lack of any ties to the area, a high bail is justified,” said prosecutors in court documents.
Fosse is scheduled for arraignment in King County on Nov. 19.
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