By Police1 Staff
SEATTLE — A convicted killer serving a life sentence for the murder of a Seattle officer was found dead in prison Wednesday.
Christopher Monfort was found unresponsive in his single-person cell at Washington State Penitentiary Wednesday morning, according to King5 News.
Officials said they believe he died of natural causes.
Monfort was convicted in 2015 of aggravated first-degree murder for the ambush of Officer Timothy Brenton on Halloween night in 2009.
Monfort was paralyzed when he was shot after he pulled a gun on officers following up on a tip about Brenton’s killer, the Seattle Times reported.
In 2009, The Associated Press reported that Monfort waged a “one-man war” on police after he firebombed four patrol vehicles and opened fire on officers.
“This case is unique in that Monfort deliberately planned to confront police and kill as many officers as he could,” Prosecutor Dan Satterberg told AP. “He was planning to make a final armed stand should he be discovered.”
Police found three rifles, a pistol-grip shotgun, and several bombs made of propane bottles with nail protruding, wrapped in duct tape.
Monfort allegedly left fliers about police brutality when he bombed patrol vehicles in a maintenance yard in October 2009.
Officer Brenton’s family told the Seattle Times although Monfort’s death doesn’t bring closure, it closes a chapter.
“We will, just as we’ve always done, be celebrating Tim and honoring Tim,” Matt Brenton said. “We know his [Monfort’s] family is hurting and mourning, and our thoughts are with them.”