Former Pasco Cop’s Murder Trial Begins From 1986 Spokane Death

A 29-year-old Spokane murder that sat cold for years is now resulting in a second trial for a former Pasco Police officer.

RICHARD AGUIRRE'S CASE WAS DROPPED WITHOUT PREJUDICE IN 2017

Dismissed without prejudice means that the case can be brought back again, and the person tried again if the first effort failed.

 Former Pasco Detective Richard Aguirre, who was in Spokane while he was in the Air Force, had been tried once before in the death of Ruby Doss. She was found having been struck repeatedly and strangled, her body found near the old Playfair Race Track on January 3rd. 1986.

The case began to be investigated when DNA samples matched Aguirre to the victim. Samples were taken from under her fingernails and other areas and produced a hit with DNA in CODIS, the national database.

The DNA evidence from Aguirre stemmed from a 2014 Pasco alleged. sexual assault.

Aguirre also faced some local charges for an alleged sexual assault in Pasco, back in 2015. It was those DNA samples from the Pasco rape allegations that led to investigators looking at him for the Spokane murder. 

In Spokane, the original investigation had Officers thinking Doss was killed by the notorious serial killer Robert Yates who murdered (admitted to) 13 people between 1975 and 1998.

Get our free mobile app

However, the CODIS hit with Aguirre's DNA led them to him.  Evidence and testimony over the years spelled out some of Aguirre's sexual activity, which reportedly included some use of prostitutes, including the time when he was in the Air Force.

The 2017 trial ended being dismissed, but additional DNA testing matched it from the wrapper that contained the condom reportedly used with Doss as the link to Aguirre.