Son arrested in apparent stabbing death of 77-year-old mother

ABERDEEN, Wash. — Aberdeen police officers responding to a call from a woman who said she was being attacked later arrested her son when they found her dead inside her home with obvious stab wounds.

On Monday at 2:28 p.m., Grays Harbor County dispatchers received a 911 call from a woman at a home on East King Street who said she was being attacked. During the call, the dispatcher said a man could be heard screaming in the background as well as sounds consistent with an assault.

Police said the man heard in the call was also talking about someone being dead.

Several officers from the Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis Police Departments as well as the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office were immediately called to the home, and as officers were on the way, the man was heard on the call making statements about wanting to kill other people.

Officers surrounded the home and tried to contact those inside.

At 2:35 pm, a man came outside briefly, but after apparently seeing officers, quickly went back inside.

Officers continued to try to get the man to come out of the house and make contact with anyone else inside with no success. Meanwhile, the initial 911 call remained open and dispatchers heard a man making numerous threats that included, “If you move, I’ll kill you,” according to Aberdeen police.

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

• Fuelers at Sea-Tac vote to strike, airport could shut down without deal
• Chicago Mercy Hospital Shooting: 4 dead, including police officer, gunman
• Homicide investigation underway after shooting in White Center
• Dick's Drive-In announces opening date for new Kent location
• Do you have an investigative story tip? Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

Officers said that three minutes later, the man was heard telling everyone to get on the ground against the window. Officers said they became increasingly concerned the incident was turning into a hostage situation involving an armed man.

Dispatchers said as the call continued, the man was heard saying, “If I go to jail, I’ll kill you all.”  A minute later, the man suddenly came out of the house and into the garage holding a baseball bat in a position that indicated he was ready to swing or hit someone with it.

Officers surrounding the home ordered the man to drop the bat several times, but he continued come toward officers stationed at the front of the home and refused to comply with their orders, investigators said.

As the man approached, two Aberdeen officers deployed their stun guns. One Aberdeen officer fired his gun at the man, but he was not hit.

The man fell to the ground and was handcuffed.

Other Aberdeen officers immediately entered the house and found a 77-year old woman dead from obvious trauma caused by a knife.  Although paramedics from the Aberdeen Fire Department had been waiting near the scene in case they were needed, the woman could not be saved.

Authorities said the initial investigation indicated the 77-year old woman lived at the home with her 81-year old husband.  The suspect is the victim’s 39-year old son.  No one else was found inside the home.

The man was arrested for investigation of homicide under the domestic violence act and eventually booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail.

Aberdeen PD officers said they had been to the home in the past.  In January, officers arrested the 39-year-old son for violating a no-contact order involving his mother, but there was no order in place at the time his mother was killed, police said.

Cox Media Group