Seattle firefighter charged in stabbing of live-in girlfriend

Associated Press

BONNEY LAKE — A Seattle Fire Department lieutenant was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his live-in girlfriend.

Peter Anton Lindahl, 45, pleaded innocent in Pierce County Superior Court. Bail was set at $200,000.

Sheri Kay Wolf, 31, was fatally stabbed Sunday night at the wooden split-level house where the couple had lived for nearly two years, police in this Pierce County town said.

Lindahl, who has no criminal record, was arrested after he reported the stabbing.

According to charging papers, Lindahl called 911 to say Wolf had been stabbed. During the telephone conversation, he said, "Why did I do that? Sheri, you ruined my life."

When police arrived, they found Lindahl and his 17-month-old daughter splattered with blood. They heard him say something to the effect of "I can’t believe I did it," and "I don’t know why I did this," according to court papers. Wolf was stabbed with a kitchen carving knife.

Relatives are caring for the child.

Lindahl was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the Seattle Fire Department said Tuesday.

He joined the department in 1982 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1994, spokeswoman Sue Stangl said.

"Overall, his career and record are satisfactory," Stangl said.

Police said they had been called to the house a few times in recent months, including a few times to check on hang-up calls to 911, but made no arrests.

In a court petition June 6, the firefighter accused Wolf of leaving 30 profane telephone messages on a friend’s answering machine, throwing his birthday cake down the stairs, knocking a plant off a shelf and other verbal and mental abuse.

"A week after our first date, she called and said she was pregnant and the baby was mine," his petition said. "In order to save money, I moved her in and put her on my health insurance.

"I have tried to get her to get a job and get out of my house, but she won’t."

The petition asked that she be ordered to leave the house he had built and stay at least 50 feet away from the home and his workplace.

"I feel threatened just having her present in my house," he wrote. "The emotional harm done to me by her caused me to miss nearly two months of work from stress caused by her."

On June 7 the judge refused to order the woman out of the house.