PHILLIP JAMES BREWER | Catfish Killers Indicted for Brutal Murder: Couple Allegedly Drugged, Stabbed Elderly Man to Death in Cold-Blooded Plot to Steal His Identity and Fortune | Autographed Letter, Signed

Phillip Brewer Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Seattle, WA. July 22, 2024. Content unknown. SEALED.

Philip James Brewer and Christina Joel Hardy are suspects in a high-profile criminal case. They were arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of 74-year-old Curtis Engeland of Mercer Island, Washington. The case involved a romance scheme that led to the violent confrontation and death of Engeland. The suspects became acquainted with Engeland several months before the incident. It was reported that they stole from him and later injected him with fentanyl, ultimately causing his death by a sharp force injury to the neck.

The case has been widely reported, and both suspects have been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, identity theft, and theft. Christina Joel Hardy is expected to enter a plea related to these charges. The investigation uncovered a series of events that led to the tragic outcome. This included using a dating app to gain the victim’s trust, stealing personal items and funds, and attempting to cover their tracks.

Curtis Engeland was a 74-year-old resident of Mercer Island, Washington. He was reported missing by his family on February 24, 2024, after he was last seen at his home on Mercer Island the previous day. The case was initially investigated as a missing person potentially involving a kidnapping, and a Silver Alert was issued by the Washington State Patrol.

Tragically, Mr. Engeland’s body was later found near Cosmopolis, Washington, about 100 miles from his home. The investigation revealed that he had been stabbed in the neck, which was determined to be the cause of death. The circumstances of his disappearance and death indicated involvement in a wider financial fraud scheme.

Curtis Engeland was described as a retired professor who met the suspects through the dating app Scruff several months before his death. The suspects, Philip Brewer and Christina Hardy, are believed to have financially defrauded him. Evidence suggests they planned to kill Mr. Engeland and take over his home and financial accounts. After his murder, they allegedly used his cell phone to conduct falsified conversations to mislead authorities into thinking he was still alive.
The case has been a complex and sensitive investigation, with detectives using GPS information from the suspects’ cell phones to locate Mr. Engeland’s body and link the suspects to the crime. The suspects were arrested in Southern California and are expected to be extradited to Washington to face homicide charges.

Curtis Engeland met Philip Brewer through the dating app Scruff, which is a platform commonly used by the gay community. According to court documents, their first interaction on the app resulted in a meeting at a Starbucks in January, where they met in person for the first time. After this initial meeting, they arranged a second date at Mr. Engeland’s home on Mercer Island to watch a movie. Unfortunately, during this encounter, Mr. Engeland fell asleep, and when he awoke, he discovered that Brewer had left, taking with him Engeland’s cell phone, car and safe deposit box keys, credit cards, and money.

The theft was reported to the police. Over the following weeks, significant amounts of money were siphoned from Mr. Engeland’s accounts. This included an alleged expenditure of $25,000 for the purchase of a car using one of Engeland’s credit cards. The relationship that began on Scruff tragically led to a scheme where Brewer, along with Christina Hardy, planned to kill Mr. Engeland, take over his home, and assume control of his financial accounts.

The police located Philip Brewer and Christina Hardy through a combination of surveillance footage and GPS data from their cell phones. Here’s a summary of the key steps in the investigation:

• Financial Transactions: Police tracked unauthorized transactions on Curtis Engeland’s accounts to a Fred Meyer store in Renton, where Brewer and Hardy were seen conducting transactions on surveillance video.

• Suspicious Texts: Engeland’s roommate received suspicious texts from Engeland’s phone, claiming he would be away for several weeks. The roommate found these texts uncharacteristic of Engeland and alerted the police.

• Surveillance Footage: Chilling surveillance video showed Brewer and Hardy driving around in Engeland’s car, a 2003 Toyota Camry, and making extravagant purchases with his money. The footage also captured them at a gas station paying close attention to the trunk, where Engeland was later found.

• GPS Data: Investigators used GPS information from the suspects’ cell phones to locate Engeland’s body. This data was critical in connecting the final pieces of the investigation and linking the suspects to the crime.

• VIDEO: Suspects accused of stabbing, injecting Mercer Island man with fentanyl | https://youtu.be/hk2dPvsbYwg

• VIDEO: Suspects accused of killing Mercer Island man plead not guilty to murder | https://youtu.be/FjqWozGsUvs

Archiving Protocol:

• Handled with White Gloves ab initio

• Photo Pages/Sheet Protectors: Heavyweight Clear Sheet Protectors, Acid Free & Archival Safe, 8.5 × 11, Top Load

• White Backing Board—Acid Free

Shipping/Packaging: Rigid Mailer 9.5 × 12.5. White, self seal, stay flat, Kraft cardboard, no bend. Each rigid mailer is made of heavy cardboard, which has strong resistance to bending and tearing. Thicker that the USPS mailers. Shipping cost never more than it absolutely has to be to get it from me to you.