Stabbing suspect booked into Snohomish County Jail with $1M bail
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 10, 2023
EDMONDS — A man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend’s friend out of jealousy in a WinCo parking lot last month had his bail set at $1 million Tuesday in Snohomish County.
Ian Bramel-Allen, 43, was transported from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to the Snohomish County Jail on Saturday. He’s accused of first-degree robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and first-degree murder of Bret Northcutt, a friend of Bramel-Allen’s ex-partner as well as the suspect.
Everett District Court Judge Tam Bui maintained the bail as requested by deputy prosecutor Michael Boska. The suspect was scheduled to appear before Judge Bui on Monday, but reportedly had mental health issues and could not be transported to the court.
Bramel-Allen’s public defender Natalie Tarantino reserved argument on bail Tuesday.
Around 8:30 p.m. April 19, Northcutt had parked a Kia Sorento in the WinCo parking lot in the 12900 block of Highway 99. Northcutt had been visiting the ex-girlfriend’s mother, who was at nearby Swedish Hospital Edmonds.
When Northcutt entered the store, video surveillance showed Bramel-Allen walking to the man’s car and trying to open the passenger door, according to a search warrant filed in Snohomish County Superior Court. After realizing the door was locked, the suspect hid behind a Redbox kiosk near the store’s exit, court documents say.
Northcutt exited the store with a brown bag about 19 minutes later. Bramel-Allen followed him close behind as he approached the car, according to court documents. Bramel-Allen then ran up to Northcutt and repeatedly stabbed him in the torso in an attack that lasted about 18 seconds, the search warrant said. Northcutt tried to walk away, but collapsed.
Northcutt died at the scene. He was 37.
Bramel-Allen then fled in the Kia Sorento, a car registered to his ex-girlfriend’s mother, according to court documents. He was later arrested near Volunteer Park in Seattle. As police approached him, the suspect reportedly stabbed himself in the neck. He was taken to Harborview.
Before the April 19 attack, Bramel-Allen had been “blowing up” his ex-girlfriend’s phone, upset about her friendship with Northcutt, according to the search warrant filed in court. While in the hospital, the suspect reportedly became emotional upon learning of Northcutt’s death, according to court documents.
He reportedly told police he didn’t plan to kill Northcutt, but when he saw him, he “just saw red.”
Maya Tizon: 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon.
