Edmonds man suspected of murdering his wife says he ‘saw demons’

A 73-year-old Edmonds man is in custody in Snohomish County Jail as the investigation continues into Friday afternoon’s apparent murder of his 66-year-old wife in their Westgate-area home.

According to the police report, the suspect contacted 911 shortly before 5 p.m. July 29 and told the dispatcher that “he had attempted to murder his wife” of 44 years. He further told the dispatcher that he had tried to cut his wife’s throat with a kitchen knife, but “was not very successful.” He repeatedly asked the dispatcher to “please kill me.”

Officers responded to the scene in the 23400 block of 94th Avenue West, where they found the victim deceased, although the cause of death was not immediately apparent.

The victim’s husband was detained and transported to a hospital for evaluation based on his initial statements, and a search warrant was issued for the residence. Edmonds police detectives were joined by a team from the Washington State Police Crime Lab to process the scene.

After being medically cleared, the husband was transferred to the Edmonds police station, where he was interviewed by detectives. During the interrogation, he admitted to the crime and provided details of events and specific acts he took to end his wife’s life.

According to probable cause documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court, the suspect told detectives that he has been “seeing demons,” that he believes he is “going to hell due to the way he has lived his life,” and that he or his wife would die at any time as “judgment for the life he had led.” He went on to add that he believed “today was judgment day,” and that “his judgement was to kill his wife.”

The husband was booked into jail Friday evening, and is being held for second-degree murder and domestic violence.

Edmonds police said that detectives are continuing to process evidence obtained at the scene, conduct interviews and assemble additional information to aid the county prosecutor’s office in building a case.

— By Larry Vogel

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