A Costco employee allegedly rammed his coworker’s motorcycle with his car, after police say he grew jealous over a hug

A 22-year-old Costco employee in Washington is facing a second-degree murder charge after police say he intentionally rammed his coworker with a car. As reported by People, Tyler Sorensen, who worked at the Issaquah location, allegedly followed 20-year-old Jonathon Langdon out of the parking lot on July 31. The incident resulted in the death of Langdon after his motorcycle was struck, throwing him into a signpost.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, Sorensen did not stop to help after the collision. Instead, the document states, “The defendant, however, continued on his way without hesitation, only stopping to make sure his vehicle was okay to drive home.” The authorities reported that Langdon was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motivation behind this act appears to be rooted in a disturbing sense of jealousy. Investigators say that Sorensen witnessed Langdon hugging another coworker, whom the suspect identified as his ex-girlfriend. The affidavit notes that Sorensen sent texts to friends after seeing the hug, stating that his “blood is boiling.” It turns out that the situation was even more complicated than Sorensen claimed.

The coworker at the center of it all tells a different story

The female coworker involved told investigators that she and Sorensen had never actually dated. She also mentioned that she had previously informed him that he was “crossing boundaries.” A similarly disturbing case of relationship-driven violence at work unfolded when a woman was fatally stabbed by her ex-boyfriend while working her shift at a restaurant.

When law enforcement caught up with Sorensen, he allegedly admitted to following Langdon at a high speed before striking him with his car. He reportedly claimed that he only wanted to “spook” Langdon and that he had not actually meant to hit him. When discussing the incident with the police, he simply said “it was stupid.” Despite his claims that he did not intend to cause a death, the legal system is moving forward with a serious charge. Sorensen has entered a plea of not guilty.

Under Washington state law, the charge of second-degree murder is a significant one. According to RCW 9A.32.050, a person is guilty of murder in the second degree when they cause the death of another person with the intent to do so, but without premeditation. This is a class A felony. The critical distinction between this and first-degree murder is the lack of premeditation.

First-degree murder requires the intent to kill to be formed over a period of time before the act occurs. In cases of second-degree murder, the intent is present at the time of the action, but it is not planned in advance. Even though it lacks the element of premeditation, the penalties for this crime remain extremely severe.