Bothell woman dies of knife wounds; son arrested

Published 11:53 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2009

BOTHELL — A man who fatally stabbed his mother allegedly told detectives he heard voices in his head that spurred him to attack.

Gloria J. Studdard, 60, died Monday, two weeks after her adopted son allegedly put a kitchen knife in her back while she sat on a couch watching television, according to officials and court records.

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies on April 18 arrested the woman’s son, David H. Coffin, 28. He’s described in court papers as suffering from a number of mental health issues, and he requires mood-stabilizing and anti-psychotic drugs.

The mother and son lived together in the 18600 block of North Road, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Coffin told detectives he had been angry with his mother for years because she didn’t respect him, court papers said.

Then, on the day of the stabbing, Coffin allegedly went into the kitchen, got a knife and returned to his bedroom, where he sat for 10 minutes thinking about hurting his mother, documents show. After the stabbing, the son told police he sat down at the kitchen table and cried.

Studdard was rushed to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where doctors initially told detectives she was expected to survive.

The mother returned home on April 23, but on Sunday, her health deteriorated, Hover said.

She was taken to Stevens Hospital and then to Harborview, where she died Monday morning. The Snohomish County medical examiner determined she died as a result of the stab wounds. Her death was ruled a homicide.

“What started out as an assault investigation for sheriff’s office detectives turned in to a homicide investigation following the victim’s death Monday morning,” Hover said. She called the development surprising and sad.

At the time of his arrest, Coffin told detectives he knew what he did was wrong. When detectives told him that his mother was seriously hurt, he reportedly grabbed his head and shook it side to side.

“Everyone is going to hate me,” Coffin said, according to the court document.

Coffin remains jailed for investigation of first-degree assault. A judge ordered him held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

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