A first-degree murder charge was filed earlier Wednesday against Brandon Lee Farmer, 29, who is in custody in West Virginia on unrelated charges. According to prosecutors, Farmer and his friend, Dusty Titus, picked up Tirado, a mother of six who was working as a prostitute in downtown Tacoma, and drove to a nearby alley.
Prosecutors say that after Farmer had Tirado perform a sex act on him, he pulled out a revolver and shot her in the head. No suspects were identified at the time and the case was referred to the Cold Case Unit.
And then, just a few weeks ago, Miller got a call from a district attorney in California. We just want you to turn yourself in. Get tired of running. Tirado was 45 years old, and left behind six kids. Vanessa Mowat is the second oldest, and remembers hearing the news from a cousin. Did you hear from her? Tirado was working as a prostitute when something went wrong.
Tacoma police Det. Two witnesses parked nearby saw the horror unfold. The suspect then fired a second round and Velma fell out of the truck and hit the ground. According to witnesses, the suspect was driving a dark-colored, 'beater-style' '80's or '90's truck.
Detectives are releasing this information to the public for the first time -- hoping to jog someone's memory and get the tip they need to crack the case. Somebody who's an associate. Somebody who had a vehicle that matches that description that came up with a broken window on the passenger side. Winter Weather Advisory.
