On the Lopez killing

According to Seattle police reports, Odessan Noel Lopez was beat to death over several hours while up to 20 people watched.

Lopez's body was found about 8 a.m. April 14 at a Seattle construction site with numerous injuries to the head, face and body.

According to a Seattle PD superform - the equivalent of an arrest report - 22-year-old Steven D. Bauder and a 20-year-old man who has not been charged were identified as the prime suspects in the case.

Bauder was arrested last week.

According to police reports supplied to the OA by KING-TV, an NBC affiliate in Seattle, Bauder told detectives that he had been in Oregon and was called back to Seattle by friends to "straighten out" Lopez, whom they said "was treating people wrong."

The report said Bauder went back to Seattle on April 4 and looked for Lopez but was not successful. Bauder told police that on April 13, he found Lopez and they went to Freeway Park - an area in downtown Seattle that is frequented mostly by homeless people.

The report said that while at least 20 of Bauder's friends watched - including the other man suspected in the killing - Bauder wrestled Lopez for the title of "King of Freeway Park." Bauder won.

Bauder told police, according to the report, that he and "everyone were drinking" when he and his fellow suspect walked with Lopez to the construction site to "handle this problem and straighten him out."

Bauder told police Lopez came at him to fight him and he and the other man responded by kicking Lopez until he passed out. After the 25-year-old Odessan regained consciousness, Bauder said he and the other man beat Lopez again for "several hours" before leaving Lopez alone.

Bauder remained Monday in the Seattle Correctional Facility. Bond was denied.

WHAT'S HAPPENED?

>> Workers in Seattle found the body of 25-year-old Noel Richard Lopez about 8 a.m. April 14 at a construction site. Lopez had fatal injuries to his head and torso.

>> The former Odessan had left his hometown to study animation at the Art Institute of Seattle, his parents said.

>> Lopez, the son of Jerry and Patricia Lopez, graduated from Odessa High in 2001 and was known by many in the community for his various talents in athletics, academia, acting, art and music. He played soccer for OHS and bass in the orchestra, tennis at Ector Junior High and was a high-flyer in entertainment wrestling.

>> Two men are suspected in the killing. Steven D. Bauder, 22, has been arrested and charged with murder. A 20-year-old Seattle man is also suspected but has not been arrested, according to police reports.

>> An autopsy by the King County Medical Examiner concluded Lopez died of massive injury to the head caused from blunt force trauma. Lopez suffered numerous other injuries.