Seattle Developer on Trial in Wenatchee for Mass Murder… of TREES!

A Chelan County judge has ordered a big-shot Seattle developer to serve 45 days in jail for attempted murder of 123 poplar trees.

The developer, well known for his work on Seattle's Odd Fellows building, was developing a lake-side village in Chelan called The Lookout.

It had wonderful views of the lake... except for some poplar trees lining the property belonging to another development called Whiskey Ranch.

Well, after negotiations failed, the developer purchased more than 80 bags of salt at Walmart and then poured large quantities on the roots of the trees!

Apparently he was hoping no one would notice, or perhaps the salt would dissolve into the soil before anyone noticed.

But it's hard to ignore huge piles of salt at the base of 123 trees! Walmart surveillance footage confirmed it was the developer and the rest is (judicial) history.

He asked to only do community service, but the judge said no. Chelan County had a message to send to real estate moguls who can't be good neighbors! He was also ordered to pay more than $150,000 to Whiskey Ranch.