Elderly Neighbor, 76-year-old Wayne Harold Mahar Sr, Faces Murder Charges in Fatal Porch Shooting of Vincent Reames

An elderly neighbor from Washington state is facing a first-degree murder charge for allegedly using a shotgun on his porch last Wednesday afternoon to fatally shoot a man named Vincent Reames, who was later discovered in his own driveway. 

According to local law enforcement, 76-year-old Wayne Harold Mahar, Sr., referred to the victim as someone deserving of death.

Vincent Reames, aged 67, tragically lost his life on October 4th outside his residence in Blaine. When deputies arrived at the scene, they detained Mr. Mahar without any issues. They found the victim lying on the ground in front of his house, but their efforts to resuscitate him were unfortunately unsuccessful.

A 911 caller pointed out that Mahar was the shooter and claimed that he confessed to the crime, stating that he shot Reames because the victim had been making too much noise by throwing rocks at his house.

Detectives from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office discovered that Mr. Mahar had previously threatened to kill the victim in response to noise complaints dating back to November 2022. He had expressed a desire to end Reames' life during that time. 

Nearly a year later, Reames, who was unarmed, was shot in the chest while standing around 30 feet away from Mahar's home.

Mahar, who allegedly identified himself as a former police officer and Vietnam veteran, was found to have a blood alcohol level of .189 several hours after the shooting. Following his arrest, he was booked into the Whatcom County Jail with a bail set at $2,000,000.

Local news outlet KING 5 reported on this tragic incident, and Whatcom County Undersheriff Doug Chadwick expressed sympathy for the victim's family and friends, as well as those affected by the traumatic event.

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