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Mill Creek man accused of stabbing wife to death in front of daughter

With his adult daughter sleeping in a bed right next to his—police say 52-year-old Matt Alton beat, then stabbed his 66-year-old wife to death in their Mill Creek apartment.  He made his first appearance in Snohomish County Court Wednesday.

According to court documents Alton’s daughter awoke to her parents fighting and her father punching her mother—Norensa Pillias.  The daughter told police she begged him to stop, but he left the room and returned with a knife.

Court documents say the daughter then told police when another relative turned on the light she saw her father stab her mother in the chest while “she observed Norensa looking at her in fear.”

The daughter said after Norensa was dead Alton looked at his wife and said “There you go.”

The daughter ran down the hall screaming for help and banging on doors.  A neighbor answered and called 911.  When police arrived they found the knife still in Norensa’s chest.

Before police could search for Alton, “the suspect rounded the corner of the building and had a laceration that was bleeding,” explained Joni Kirk with the City of Mill Creek.

Alton is facing first degree murder charges.  His defense attorney said in court that he is Micronesian and will need a translator to fully understand the charges.