Is Unexplained Grafftti Tied to Radio Transmitter Site Arson?

Police plan a news conference Tuesday afternoon with updates. (Image courtesy of KNDU-TV)

In the meantime, the investigation into a fire that destroyed nearly $100K worth of broadcast equipment in Kennewick has taken a new twist.    Graffitti found at the transmitter site of KTCR 1340 AM near Edison just North of Kamkiakin High School has police wondering if it's related.

Over the weekend, someone broke through two protective fences,  pried open the building housing the AM transmitter, and the STL relays for Power 99 and Eagle 106.5 and set the inside on fire.    The two FM stations are on low power for now, but KTCR's transmitter requires monumental repairs.   As we told you earlier this week,  radio transmitters are very sophisticated, designed to run for 20-30 years non-stop, and new ones easily cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.    The estimated repair bill is $100,000.

Radio Tri-Cities officials say the building was repainted within the last month, and the grafftti tags are mysterious.   Someone painted "rest in peace Aaron Wright" on each of the four sides of the structure, with other related markings.   Authorities don't know if the tagging is related to the fire, but obviously somebody had to climb over or break through two fences to get there.

Wright was fatally shot in June a block away from the site, after leading police on a wild chase through Kennewick.  The officers involved were exonerated, and the incident was deemed justified after an investigation.

And another question:  Why was the transmitter building of a radio station targeted?  If somebody wanted to memorialize Wright, one would think they would choose a much more "public" location for the tagging.

These are questions that will only be answered as the investigation continues.