Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Dead of Winter’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘In Pursuit With John Walsh,’ viewers get a detailed account of Chesaw, Washington residents Dave and Geralyn Covey’s double homicide in February 2022. The investigators delved deep into the bone-chilling and mysterious case only to chase shadows of a suspect who just won’t get caught. By laying down the facts of the case and profiling the suspect, host John Walsh, who is also a celebrated criminologist and victims’ rights activist, took us on a journey as he explored the twists and turns of the case.
Dave and Geralyn Covey Were Found Dead in Their House
David Otis Covey, son of Archie and Vera (White) Covey, was born on January 23, 1942. He grew up in a loving household alongside his siblings — brothers Bob and Perry, as well as a sister, Carol, AKA Cookie. On May 18, 1962, David embarked on a significant phase of his life by tying the knot with Dorothy E Buchanan. In November of the same year, the two welcomed a son, whom they named David Otis Covey Jr. AKA Dave Jr. Two years later, on July 6, 1964, their daughter Deborah Leann Covey, also known as Debbie, was born. On the professional front, Dave lent his father a hand in the family’s business — Covey’s Repair.
Aside from that, he boasted a dynamic career, ranging from working at Emil Kruse, Buck Golm Fort to Silverwheel Freight and Hank and Earl’s Wrecking. He then secured employment at Okanogan County Public Works, where he served as a mechanic until his retirement in 2006. Dave was an automobile enthusiast and thoroughly enjoyed working on them. In his lifetime, he reportedly participated in many local races and also built a 1959 Chevy Belair race car as well as a demolition derby car with his pals. While Dave was a family man, his relationship with Dorothy couldn’t stand the test of time, and they separated.
A few years later, on June 19, 1999, he was introduced to Omak native Geralyn (Jer) Krebs by Debbie. The two took a liking to each other and entered into holy matrimony the same year. The beloved daughter of Rose and Thomas Krebs, Geralyn, was born on August 25, 1955, and spent her early days in North Dakota. Dave and Geralyn shared a similar past, having been married once before. The latter tied the knot with Darold Zentner in 1975 and moved to Riverside, Washington. Alongside basking in the marital bliss, the pair ran an apple orchard business. They added their first-born son, Shannon, to their family the following year.
Their second son, Dean, was born in 1980. Sometime in the next few years, Geralyn and Darold decided to get a divorce. After marrying Dave, she began working at Hamilton Farm Equipment. Both Dave and Geralyn embraced the members of their respective families. In 2003, they settled down in Chesaw in Okanogan County, Washington. Following his retirement, he executed services and sold parts for his automobile business, due to which he and Geralyn traveled a lot. An ardent fan of Gonzaga Men’s and Women’s Basketball, he loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren in his downtime.
While Geralyn loved gardening, woodworking, working her magic on a guitar, and wowing everyone with her vocals, Dave took a great interest in fishing, yard sales, gold panning, etc. They were reputed members of the community and had nearly completed 25 years of togetherness when their lives turned upside down. According to Debbie, the Coveys, alongside their three dogs, left their Omak home on the morning of February 13, 2022, to pay a visit to their Chesaw property. When Debbie didn’t hear from the pair for a couple of days, she went to their Omak residence but noticed that nobody was home, not even the dogs.
As tensions arose among the Coveys’ family members, the authorities helped them search their Chesaw residence on the same day. The following day, several volunteers, drones, and off-road vehicles were deployed to expand the search to the areas near the property, only to find Dave and Geralyn’s lifeless bodies on their property on February 16, 2022, around 5:45 pm. In the autopsy report, it was indicated that they were shot to death. After taping the crime scene, the police began looking for evidence.
Dave and Geralyn Covey Were Allegedly Killed By a Stranger
After inspecting the scene of the crime, the investigators started to interview the family and friends of Dave and Geralyn Covey, including the former’s daughter, Deborah, who believed that it was possibly the case of a confrontation that turned into the killing as the Coveys’ shed was broken into. Talking to The Spokesman-Review, Deborah remembered her father and stepmother, saying, “They were so giving. They didn’t deserve to die this way. There was just no reason for it. Sure, there are confrontations, and people get angry, but to kill someone, not just one, but two people, it’s unfathomable, really.”
The detectives saw a person of interest lurking around the property of the Coveys twice while they were busy searching for crucial evidence. Both times, the mysterious individual managed to run away. The authorities believed that the person who fled the property and wore a green camouflage jacket and dark pants was armed and dangerous. Soon enough, by corroborating all the pieces of evidence and testimonies from the victims’ loved ones, the police identified the suspect as a Chesaw, Washington, man named Dylan J. Harrington, who allegedly shot the married couple to death in February 2022.
Soon, an arrest warrant for Dylan was issued for two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of unauthorized removal or concealment of bodies. When the detectives failed to get significant leads on the case, they decided to take external help from the public. In March 2022, they offered up to $5,000 for anyone who could provide information regarding Dylan’s whereabouts, leading to his arrest.
Since the suspect had no personal connections with Dave and Geralyn Covey, there were hardly any dots to be connected, making the case all the more challenging for the investigators. By April 2022, multiple law enforcement agencies, such as US Marshals, Border Patrol, WSP, and more, teamed up to search for Dylan Harrington, but he still managed to remain on the run without leaving any trace behind.
Dylan Harrington Remains At Large
More than one and a half years after the murder of Dave and Geralyn Covey in September 2023, the police doubled the reward. They announced to give up to $10,000 to anyone providing information leading to the alleged killer, Dylan Harrington. In December 2023, several tipsters called the police and said that they had seen Dylan in the small town of Ponderay, just north of Sandpoint, in Idaho.
However, after reviewing the video surveillance, the authorities confirmed that the first couple of possible sightings of Dylan were false as it was just a local man who looked similar to him. Another sighting of the suspect of the double homicide case of the married couple was reported in Shoshone County in early May 2024. Having the ability to survive in remote areas, Dylan is “known to live off the land,” making it difficult for the police to locate him even today.
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