Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, September 26, 2008 Woman's slaying stuns south Everett neighborhood By Katya Yefimova, Diana Hefley and Jackson Holtz, Herald Writers EVERETT -- Neighbors said a woman killed Wednesday night often walked her dog through the cul de sac. She seemed to love the champion papillon as if it were her child, they said. The woman smiled easily and allowed children to play with her beloved pet. One neighbor also said they heard what they believed were arguments between the woman and a man who shared the house. Late Wednesday, neighbors watched in horror as the man was ordered out of the home by police. He walked out backward, dressed in white briefs and a T-shirt, his hands up, blood on his clothes and tears dripping down his face. Major crime detectives Thursday continued to investigate why the Everett man, 62, told police he fatally shot his girlfriend late Wednesday. He was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on Thursday on suspicion of second-degree murder. The man apparently called 911 just before 11 p.m. Wednesday and told dispatchers he shot the woman, Snohomish County sheriff's investigators said. Patrol deputies raced to the home and found the body of a woman inside. She appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound, sheriff's Lt. Ty Trenary said. Her identity was not released Thursday. The shooting happened in a small development in the 11500 block of 23rd Place W. near the south end of Paine Field, just outside Everett city limits. The suspect and the woman both lived at the house, Trenary said. Neighbors heard sirens and saw patrol cars swarm the area. They later heard deputies order the man out of the two-story house and saw him being handcuffed. "I saw he was covered in blood, on his arms and hands," said Travis Lambright, who lives a few doors down from the pair. Jesse Agag saw paramedics rush into the couple's house. "I knew something bad had happened after they came out with an empty stretcher," Agag said. Police canvassed the neighborhood, asking if anyone had heard gunfire or had heard the couple argue. Angie Doneyhue, whose house is right next door, said on several occasions she heard what she believed to be a couple shouting at each other, including Wednesday night. "I was in the back yard and heard them argue," she said. Lambright said he'd only said "Hi" a few times to the man. "They seemed pretty private and kept to themselves," Agag said. "I'd see her out walking the dogs." Neighbors said the man and the woman may have worked for Boeing. The jailed man and the woman were renting the house in Marino Estates, a small housing development in unincorporated Everett. Court documents show that the man had been separated from his wife of seven years since February 2007. The ex-wife filed for separation in May in Snohomish County Superior Court. She lives in Oregon, according to the court documents. The separation decree indicates the man was awarded possession of an extensive gun collection. Detectives spent much of the day gathering evidence and documenting the scene. No other details about the investigation were released. The man is scheduled to go before a judge today. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to do an autopsy on the woman. Denise Johnson watched officials carry the woman's body from her neighbor's home Thursday morning. She said she was scared and upset about the loss of life so close to home. "It's sad," Johnson said. "She was young. Her life is gone now." Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Lawsuit blames county and weed inspector in man’s death 2. Cost of dispute falls on Monroe 3. Salish Sea: Huge body of water now has common name 4. Mind if I smoke? 5. Boeing says 787 fixes are done 6. Worker dies after falling 4 stories from Lynnwood building 7. FOOTBALL FORECAST: Battle of unbeatens highlights first week of state-playoff action 8. Granite Falls-area fire chief placed on paid leave 9. Everett dentist travels world to help 10. Benefit to help injured soldier, his family 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Memorial for Peggy Pritchard Olson set • Bazaar Fever • Hawks proud of historic season • Olson always put Edmonds first • Honoring student veterans • ‘Wheedle' author comes to Lynnwood bookshop • Mavs build early lead en route to easy win • Prep football games of the week (state playoffs) • Tears of laughter, tears of grief • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million