$1 million bail set in stabbing of Marysville woman

Published 6:35 am Thursday, June 4, 2009

MARYSVILLE — Paul Robert Williams sipped coffee with his mother on a quiet cul-de-sac in Marysville on Tuesday morning.

At some point, police allege, he slipped a kitchen knife into his back pocket and hid it under a long coat.

Around 8 a.m., while Williams’ mother was in another room, he reportedly went next door.

If detectives have it right, he went past the American flag flying in the neighbor’s yard. He passed the cat decoration on the outside of her blue house. And he used a ruse to enter Shirley Freeman’s home, according to a affidavit filed Wednesday in Everett District Court.

Snohomish County sheriff’s detectives allege Williams, 33, then punched the 70-year-old Marysville woman in the face, knocked her down and stabbed her multiple times.

Williams told police he drove back to his Arlington apartment, cleaned up and changed clothes before he returned to his mother’s house and told her he slit Freeman’s throat, according to the affidavit.

His mother called 911. Deputies arrested Williams in her driveway.

He allegedly told police he spent several days plotting to kill Freeman.

Williams was jailed for investigation of first-degree murder. A judge pro-tem ordered him held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Freeman was the type of neighbor that everyone had problems with, Williams reportedly told detectives.

During a visit Monday night, Williams went to see Freeman to smooth over a dispute between Freeman and his parents about barking dogs, the court papers said.

Freeman lived alone with a German shepherd and two cats, officials said.

“What Paul knew in his mind was that he was going to kill Shirley at some point,” sheriff’s detective Patrick VanderWeyst wrote.

Williams told detectives he woke early Tuesday morning and began pacing his apartment. When he left, he had several knives, a dumbbell and a change of clothes, in case he got bloody, the affidavit said.

After his arrest, Williams reportedly told police he felt horrible about what happened.

The man’s mother said he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and takes lithium. Williams said he hears voice and takes anti-psychotic medication as needed to treat serious mental illness, according to court papers.

Police said the man should be considered a danger to himself and others.

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