Newcastle council members, residents condemn hate mail after investigation points to former council member

Mayor Clark opened the Oct. 21 Newcastle City Council meeting as residents and council members continued to respond to recent offensive mail and harassment directed at Council member Sherlock and candidate Andy Jacobs.

The Seattle Times reported on the incident last week, prompting multiple public comments and council remarks at the meeting. Detective Ford of the Newcastle Police Department described the criminal investigation, which involved coordination with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and produced surveillance evidence identifying the sender. Ford said the case produced video from a postal kiosk and other investigative leads and that prosecutors reviewed the evidence; he said some charges were filed in related matters but that prosecutorial thresholds vary by charge.

The issue drew repeated public comment. Andy Jacobs, a council candidate, told council members he and his wife received “hate mail” and thanked Detective Ford and the postal inspector for…