Brawl leads to young man’s killing on Lynnwood street

Published 11:20 pm Friday, December 7, 2007

LYNNWOOD — He was looking the other way and likely didn’t even see the switchblade that took his life Thursday.

The 18-year-old was left to die on a Lynnwood street corner.

Police believe a boy, 15, hit the victim in the head with a pool cue before Dustin Powell, 20, allegedly stabbed him in the chest with the knife, according to court documents.

Powell and the boy were ordered jailed Friday for investigation of second-degree murder.

The stabbed teen was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died late Thursday, said Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover. The medical examiner had not released the identity of the victim by Friday afternoon.

Bullying may have led to the deadly brawl, according to a police affidavit filed Friday in Everett District Court.

The younger boy allegedly told Powell he was tired of being picked on by the teen who was stabbed, the documents said. The 15-year-old shared a rented rambler in the 15400 block of Admiralty Way with the victim and the victim’s girlfriend.

On Thursday, Powell visited the home and things quickly escalated. The 18-year-old, his girlfriend and another teen left the home followed by Powell, who was intent on “beating up” the accused bully, the documents said. About 7:30 p.m., near the corner of 156th Street SW and Admiralty Way, the dispute became physical, police said.

Powell allegedly hit the victim in the head, and the teen retaliated with blows to Powell’s head, court documents said.

The 15-year-old told detectives he knew Powell had a prior head injury and it was dangerous for him to get knocked around. That’s when the boy allegedly struck the victim over the head with the pool cue, the documents said.

The slain teen’s girlfriend then allegedly pulled out a knife and threatened the boy. In turn, Powell allegedly pulled out the switchblade and stabbed the victim, the documents said.

Powell later reportedly told police he attacked the 18-year-old because he doesn’t believe in hurting girls.

Powell allegedly told detectives he knew what he did was wrong and that he is “crazy,” documents show.

On Thursday night, sheriff’s deputies swarmed the north Lynnwood neighborhood looking for evidence.

“It was scary because the helicopters were flying around and police cars were driving up and down the street,” said Donna Neff, who, with her husband, Randy, owns the home where the slain teen lived with his girlfriend and the jailed boy. They live next door.

Donna Neff said two women, two teens — a boy and a girl — and a toddler moved into the home in July.

On Friday morning, Neff said she was distraught about what had played out on her street.

“It makes me extremely sad to know that someone died and that a (boy) that we thought was a good kid was involved,” she said.

In juvenile court Friday, the boy’s slight shoulders sagged as his attorney argued that he shouldn’t be jailed. The 15-year-old was involved in an altercation with the victim, but it was Powell who stabbed the man, attorney Kristin Timm said.

The boy didn’t know Powell had a knife, and there isn’t probable cause to hold him for investigation of murder, Timm said.

The 15-year-old boy has no criminal history. He has warrants for truancy.

Judge David Kurtz ordered the boy held on $25,000 cash-only bail to be paid by a parent. He said that was equivalent to what the boy would typically face in adult court and was based on the nature of the crime, the boy’s truancy history and his potential for being a danger to the community.

He ordered the boy not to contact Powell or the victim’s girlfriend.

In Everett District Court on Friday, Powell was ordered held on $500,000 bail.

The fight that took a teen’s life is a tragedy for the victim’s family and for the suspect’s relatives, said neighbor Randy Neff.

“Somebody lost their life over nothing,” he said.

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@heraldnet.com.