JUNE 2026
Madison Park Times Serving East-Central Seattle since 1983
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Madison Park Awaits Answers After Disturbing Death
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he death of a man found in Madison Park over Memorial Day weekend has unsettled the neighborhood, but community leaders say many residents are waiting for more information before drawing broader conclusions about public safety. Seattle police homicide detectives are investigating after officers responded May 24, just after 5 p.m., to a report of a person down in a parking lot in the 4000 block of East Madison Street. Officers found a man with obvious signs of trauma, and the Seattle Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene, according to the Seattle Police Department. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the man as 70-year-old James Edward O’Hara. As of the Medical Examiner’s May 27 decedents list, the cause and manner of death remain pending. Police said O’Hara’s death remains under investigation, with no suspect description available as of SPD’s May 26 blotter post. Friends of Madison Park said a crime like the one under investigation is “very unusual and disturbing,” and that neighbors are
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SPD dashboard data showed 18 reported offenses in Madison Park in May 2026, up from nine in April and five in both February and March. eager for more information. The organization said its Public Safety Committee is monitoring the case and working with Seattle police to obtain additional information as the investigation continues. Community leaders cautioned against treating the case as evidence of a broader shift before more is known. One local community activist said the residents she has spoken with are largely reserving judgment until more details about the case become available as they await further information from police. She said there is sympathy for O’Hara, but that the case has not significantly changed how that group views safety in Madison Park. Community members also emphasized that Madison Park
remains connected to the same public-safety challenges and conversations affecting neighborhoods across Seattle. “We are a destination for people from all over the city — for the beach amenities, events and shopping,” the organization said. “Criminal activity seems to come in waves and then settle down.” The group said Madison Park is peaceful most of the time, but residents remain alert to crime. Friends of Madison Park said community donations helped add lighting to trees along the business corridor to address safety concerns, and that the organization maintains a publicsafety information and contacts page to help residents know who to contact when concerns arise. Seattle police dashboard data
reviewed for this article showed reported offenses in Madison Park rising in May after a comparatively quiet stretch earlier in the spring. The dashboard recorded 18 reported offenses in May 2026, up from nine in April and five in both February and March. Viewed in a broader context, however, the increase does not necessarily signal a dramatic shift in neighborhood crime patterns. Monthly totals in Madison Park have fluctuated over the past several years, and the May 2026 figure remains within the range of activity seen during comparable periods in 2024 and 2025. While the recent uptick has drawn attention, the longerterm data suggests a pattern of
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Meet Your Neighbor: Celeste Garcia
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Jenny Martin his is the latest feature in a new “Meet Your Neighbor” series designed to help you get to know your neighbors. Although Madison Park is a small community, it can sometimes feel large. To foster a stronger sense of community, this column will introduce you to your neighbors. After reading each edition, you’ll be able to put a name to a face and greet people like Celeste when you see her walking by.
Celeste is a mom, a writer, and an advocate for the ethical use of AI. Her debut novel is called AI Baby. What do you love about living here? There’s a spirit about Seattle. I think about its origins and the early pioneers and coming here and building something from nothing. There’s still sort of a rugged can-do aspect to the people who live here. My career was at Microsoft in marketing. And there was a can-do attitude, with people feeling like anything is really possible. I think people here are very smart, educated, and hardworking. It’s really unique for people who grow up here that they always know there’s an option to attend a really great university in their own backyard. My son is going there now. And it’s really been a big part of learning and curiosity and education that makes this a unique city. What is the difference between how you prepared for university and how young people today prepare for admission? When we were growing up, and I’m a Gen Xer, we were allowed to enjoy our childhood and be kids. It wasn’t seen as a resumebuilding time, and childhood has become that. Raising my children, I tried not to overschedule them and over program them. My husband was really adamant that we
always ate dinner together. And that made a huge difference. Is there more pressure on kids today to succeed in school? I feel bad for the new generations that there’s just so much pressure. Any of the
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