On January 6, Belltown resident Michelle Thorton was discovered strangled in the closet of her Vine Street apartment, nude from the waist down.

Today, the King County Prosecutor's Office filed second degree murder charges against 41-year-old Gary Wade, who, prosecutors allege, sexually assaulted Thorton on December 29 before killing her in an ensuing struggle. Wade has a felony criminal history in Utah and Georgia for assault, resisting arrest, forgery, offering prostitution, and attempting to distribute dangerous drugs.

Charging documents include a probable cause statement from the Seattle Police Department. SPD's investigation turned up surveillance footage of a man entering and exiting Thorton's apartment numerous times during the night of December 29 and early into the next morning. An old friend of Thorton's, when interviewed by SPD, admitted that he and Thorton routinely bought crack from a man named, simply, "G." The friend positively identified the man from the surveillance footage as being "G."

Police soon identified fingerprints at Thorton's residence belonging to Wade. Here's how SPD homicide detective Jeffrey Mudd described the crime scene: "This is the same area where a bathrobe was found on the floor and the matching bathrobe belt was found nearby. This is also the same area where a framed picture was found lying on the floor and broken in pieces. The sofa appeared to have been moved, as it sat slightly askew from the wall. There was suspected feces found on the floor next to the sofa, on the bathrobe, and on a lamp chord next to the sofa."

The charging documents also include the results from a Washington State Patrol Crime Lab DNA profile taken from medical examiner swabs of Thorton's body. The profile matched Wade's. Thorton's half brother also positively identified Wade as "G." Wade was taken into police custody in Belltown on February 26.

From the charging documents: "Wade acknowledged knowing Ms. Thorton and stated that he would sell her drugs on occasion. He initially stated that he last saw her prior to Christmas, 2010, and at that time she was in fine health. However, after being confronted with certain pieces of evidence, Wade changed his story and stated that when he last saw Ms. Thorton, she was dead and that he had placed her in her closet."