Haskell stands firm on leaks to former police officer Aguirre

Spokane County Prosecutor Larry Haskell is standing by statements made by one of his deputies suggesting law enforcement in Central Washington leaked information to a murder suspect.

Meanwhile, Richard Aguirre’s attorney is asking a judge to throw out the $500,000 bond on a voyeurism charge imposed after the claims were made in court.

Haskell said Wednesday his office will not release the details that prompted the accusation that Aguirre was receiving leaked information from his longtime co-workers at the Pasco Police Department and members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

“The facts will stand on their own merit at the completion of the investigation,” Haskell said in a statement. “In the meantime, my office will focus our time and attention on the prosecutions against Mr. Aguirre for the murder of Ruby Doss and the current voyeurism charge.”

Later Wednesday, Haskell said he’d like to release more information but didn’t want to taint the investigation.

“I have to be patient, and everybody else will have to be patient, too,” Haskell said.

Franklin County Sheriff Jim Raymond and the Pasco Police Department issued stern rebukes following a statement made in open court by Deputy Prosecutor Kyle Treece last week that there was “reason to believe” members of both departments leaked information to Aguirre. The former Pasco police officer is in Spokane County Jail on suspicion of killing Doss in Spokane in 1986 and videotaping sex with an unsuspecting partner. Both departments said they contacted the Spokane Police Department following Treece’s statement and were assured their officers had been cleared of wrongdoing.

Spokane police Chief Frank Straub said earlier this week the department had no plans to discuss the case publicly.

On Tuesday, Aguirre’s attorney, Scott Johnson, asked for a new bail hearing following the statements from Pasco and Franklin County.

“I have received no information from the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office or any other officials clarifying what Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Treece said in court,” Johnson wrote in his filing. In an email Wednesday, Johnson said he was “frustrated” by the allegations and lack of public information supporting them.

Haskell said Wednesday the motion by Johnson might mean his office would have to produce details about the leak allegation, but he hadn’t made that determination.

“I have to work very closely with the investigators on that,” he said.

Aguirre was tied to Doss’ killing through DNA evidence, according to court documents.

He was stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base when Doss was found strangled in East Central Spokane.

He recently retired from the Pasco Police Department after 27 years in the midst of the Doss homicide investigation and an unrelated sexual assault allegation in the Tri-Cities area.

Haskell said he hoped the flap over the alleged leaks of information wouldn’t overshadow the severity of the crime being investigated.

“I hope the public and the media will say, ‘Let’s focus on the murder victim,’ ” he said.