Two Whatcom County men have pled not guilty to murder charges in Whatcom County Superior Court for separate cases; one involving the death of a Bellingham accountant and the other involving a Lynden school bus driver.
Donald Edward Malone, 61, of Custer, pled not guilty to premeditated murder during his August 15 arraignment after being charged for killing Vaughn Hagen, 70, of Bellingham on August 6.
According to the police report, Hagen was the estate executor for Malone’s mother and had driven a U-Haul to Birch Bay Square, where he found Malone on August 6. Malone allegedly asked Hagen to give him a minute to go into the grocery store and then rode his bike home.
Hagen subsequently arrived to clean the garage at the estate, where Malone had lived both before and after his parents’ deaths in the 3000 block of W. 75th Street in Custer. Without saying anything, Malone shot Hagen at least five times outside of the home, court records state. Charging documents state that Malone traveled to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office the next day to confess the murder.
Malone is being held in Whatcom County Jail in lieu of a $2 million appearance bond. His next status conference is set for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 3.
Hagen was born in Bellingham, though he had roots in Blaine and Birch Bay dating to his maternal great-grandparents. He was proud of his Norwegian heritage and his grandparents helped found the Free Church Unitarian in Blaine, where his service will be held.
He was known as a conscientious man who loved everyone around him, especially his family. He was a sports fan, raised money for the Kiwanis iodine deficiency disorder project and had just purchased a 1950 red Ford truck as a retirement present that he drove in Blaine’s Fourth of July parade.
“A man of great integrity and generosity,” wrote Vernene Scheurer, Hagen’s sister, in a statement about her brother to The Northern Light. “Someone who accepted all and had a strong sense of right and wrong.”
The same morning as Malone’s arraignment, Samuel Peter Swanson, 38, of Blaine, pled not guilty to second-degree murder after being charged with killing Lynden bus driver Annette Lyon, 62, on August 8. Swanson is accused of driving head-on into Swanson’s bus on May 1 after sending texts stating suicidal thoughts the night before.
Swanson was in a wheelchair accompanied by his attorney, Jason Powers, during his arraignment in front of court commissioner Kacie Emerick. Swanson was released on a $250,000 appearance bond on the same day he was charged and booked into jail.
According to its investigation, the Lynden Police Department discovered Swanson was traveling 77 miles per hour at the time of impact, and five seconds prior was driving 86 miles per hour in the 35 mile-per-hour zone. Lyon was driving 32 miles per hour and didn’t have time to brake before the crash, according to the investigation.
Lyon was born in Murrhardt, Germany and immigrated to the U.S. in 2009, according to her public obituary. Survived by family in Germany and Everson, she was remembered for her humor, wit and compassion.
“Annette was respected and loved by everyone. She was generous, forgiving, and humble,” according to her obituary. “Above all, she loved her job as a school bus driver and cherished the kids that rode with her.”
