Port Angeles Man Arrested in Murder of Danny Kendrick

A major breakthrough has occurred in the ongoing investigation into the February death of a 73-year-old Clallam County resident, with authorities arresting a 46-year-old Port Angeles man on murder charges following a massive, multi-agency operation.

Clinton Laverne King was taken into custody without incident on Thursday, May 14, and booked into the Clallam County Jail for second-degree murder. According to jail records, King was booked at 1:03 p.m.

The arrest is the culmination of a lengthy investigation that involved the execution of more than 45 search warrants, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

King is accused of killing Danny Steven Kendrick, whose body was discovered on the morning of February 21 at a property in the 6300 block of Deer Park Road.

Kendrick was later determined to have died from gunshot wounds, and the case was officially classified as a homicide on March 5.

The investigation gathered significant momentum on Thursday when detectives located a vehicle connected to the homicide near Black Diamond Road.

Investigators and undercover detectives with the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team conducted surveillance, following the vehicle to a residence in the 1300 block of West 16th Street. There, detectives observed a man matching King’s description heading toward the property.

Having already established probable cause to arrest King for second-degree murder, detectives obtained a warrant for the residence and called in the Peninsula Crisis Response Team.

Due to the high-risk nature of the operation, nearby Stevens Middle School was briefly placed on a modified lockdown as a precaution.

Before the Crisis Response Team could fully arrive, deputies observed King preparing to leave the residence on a motorcycle.

To prevent a potential high-speed pursuit and ensure public safety, deputies moved in immediately, taking King into custody outside the home without incident. A vehicle believed to be associated with the homicide was also seized as evidence.

The arrest on Thursday follows a separate high-risk search warrant executed earlier this week on Monday, May 11, at a residence in the 1300 block of West 9th Street, which successfully uncovered additional evidence related to Kendrick’s death.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office expressed gratitude for the extensive assistance provided during the investigation by the Port Angeles Police Department, OPNET, the Peninsula Crisis Response Team, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air & Marine Unit, and the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team and Crime Laboratory.

Authorities are still encouraging anyone with additional information related to the incident to come forward by contacting the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 360-417-2459, or by submitting tips online.