Man charged in stabbing death of his mother

Herald staff

SEATTLE — A man has been charged with first-degree murder after reportedly admitting that he stabbed his mother to death with a butcher knife.

Bail was set at $1 million for James Corne, 28, on Friday, two days after the death of his mother, Peggy Ann Corne, 54, at her home in Auburn.

Corne was transferred to the medical and psychiatric unit at the King County jail from the Regional Justice Center in Kent because he was despondent, deputy prosecutor Dan Satterberg said.

Documents filed in Superior Court said Corne had been drinking and began arguing with his mother when she scolded his 12-year-old daughter for interrupting a conversation.

"She would not shut up and kept pushing my buttons," prosecutors quoted him as saying. "I just took a butcher knife and stabbed her in the chest."

After pulling the knife from his mother’s chest, Corne also twice tried to stab his father, Ronald, but was knocked to the floor by his older brother, Patrick, who hit him with a chair, the documents stated.

UW receives federal grant for gene therapy research: The University of Washington has received a $12.83 million federal grant for gene therapy research. The grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, spread over five years, will establish a multidisciplinary program of excellence in gene therapy. the institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, is setting up three other such programs around the country. The UW program will include researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, who are also on the UW faculty. The grant will pay for basic research, clinical trials of new therapies and education. Among the human trials planned are gene therapies for cystic fibrosis, graft vs. host disease and anemia.

Cold blasts Willamette Valley: The first snowstorm of the season dropped several inches of snow Monday on the Willamette Valley. About four inches had piled up in the Dallas area by 5 p.m. and more was expected throughout the night. Flurries were also reported in the Coast Range and drivers were being advised to use chains or studded tires. Highway 18 near Grande Ronde was closed for several hours Monday evening after several minor traffic accidents and officials said the highway remained closed to oversized loads. Highway 22 near Butler Hill also was closed for several hours Monday. Light snow was reported on Highway 26 west of Portland. The road was de-iced and sand trucks were at the ready. ODOT officials said most other roads in the region remained clear. The snowfall was inconsistent, at best. It was raining in Albany, for example, while it snowed in Salem, several miles to the north.

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