TACOMA – A Pierce County jury convicted an Army sergeant of first-degree murder Friday for drowning his wife in a bathtub shortly after he returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. James Pitts, 32, killed his 28-year-old wife, Tara, in their Lakewood apartment April 21, 2004. The Fort Lewis-based soldier never denied drowning his wife, but contended he didn’t mean to kill her when he held her head underwater until she stopped kicking.
His attorney, Sverre Staurset, argued during the two-week trial that Pitts was suffering from depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the murder and should not be convicted of premeditated murder.
Jurors rejected that argument, believing instead that Pitts acted with premeditation when he filled the tub with water minutes before shoving his wife’s head in, said Mark Lindquist, the deputy prosecutor who tried Pitts.
The News Tribune
Ferndale: $82,000 fine levied against business
A Ferndale industrial property owner has been fined $82,000 for dumping muddy water into a tributary of a salmon-spawning creek. I-5 Properties Inc. misused its storm-water system for about five months, according to the state Department of Ecology. Water was pumped into a tributary of California Creek before sediment had settled out of it, said Richard Grout, manager of the department’s Bellingham office.
The Bellingham Herald
Bellingham: Phony group seeks funds
Imposters have been soliciting funds on behalf of a phony group called the Washington State Search and Rescue Council, Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said. Residents of Washington and Idaho received fund-raising calls, but their donations were not given to county search and rescue teams. The Whatcom County Search and Rescue Council said it does not raise funds through phone solicitations.
The Bellingham Herald
Bremerton: Teacher convicted of assault
Bremerton High School math teacher Kevin Maib was convicted on three counts of misdemeanor assault Friday. He faced charges of assault with sexual motivation, but the jury did not determine whether the assault was for purposes of sexual gratification. Three female students accused Maib of giving them unwanted hugs and making comments about their appearance that made them feel uncomfortable. One student reported that he slapped her rear, and another said he made reference to her breasts.
The Sun
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