Auburn Police continue to search for leads in homicide of Kent city employee

Auburn Police continue to interview friends, colleagues and relatives of Seth Frankel as well as search through physical evidence in an effort to find out who might have killed the Kent city employee.

Frankel, 41, a video program coordinator for the city, was found dead May 22 lying on the floor of his Auburn home in the 100 block of D Street Northwest.

Frankel died May 21 from stab wounds to the arms and neck and the manner of death was homicide, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.

"We don't have any big news to update," said Jamie Sidell, Auburn Police spokesman, during a phone interview Thursday. "We have conducted interviews and we have more to go with people associated with him as we try to develop leads."

Auburn detectives are working on the case with the Crime Laboratory Division of the Washington State Patrol. The lab provides forensic services to local law enforcement agencies.

"It takes time to go through that," Sidell said of the forensic work. "It's not like a hour-long CSI television show. It is a lengthy process."

With few leads to pursue, police are keeping any details they know out of the media as they try to track down or eliminate suspects.

"There's nothing we can really talk about as we go through the interviews and evidence," Sidell said. "It does sound like from everything we hear that he was a good guy and a nice guy."

Police are unsure whether they are looking for a suspect who knew Frankel or not.

"We don't really know yet," Sidell said.

Sidell said police are doing everything they can to try to solve the Frankel case.

"It is an active case and the investigation continues," Sidell said. "Long days are being put in to get to the bottom of this."

The family of Frankel had a private memorial service for Frankel Thursday at the Kent Senior Activity Center.

Frankel joined the city of Kent in 2007 after 11 years as a director of production at a PBS station in Eureka, Calif. He was the employee behind most of the city meetings and events shown on Kent TV21. Residents within the city limits, who subscribe to Comcast cable services, can watch city meetings and events on channel 21.

Frankel grew up in Hawaii and moved to the mainland to attend the University of Oregon, where he earned a degree in telecommunications and film.

Outside of work, Frankel enjoyed spending time with his two young daughters. He had recently moved to Auburn from Kent.

Friends and family of Frankel started a memorial fund. To contribute, send a check to Seth Frankel Memorial Fund, c/o Boeing Employee Credit Union, PO Box 97050, Seattle, WA 98124-9750. Make the check out to "Seth Frankel Memorial Fund" and write "Account 3585404820" on the note line.

Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

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