A Seattle man was ordered held on $1 million bail, suspected of killing his aunt last week in Ballard.
Emily Thordarson was found dead Friday in her Ballard home in the 300 block of Northwest 47th Street.
After talking to a neighbor, police contacted her nephew, Javen Thordarson, at his home in South Seattle. Police said the 27-year-old had cuts on his hand and arm.
He denied being at his aunt’s house and claimed his hand had a paper cut. Thordarson’s father later told detectives his son was injured at a program he attends when he tripped and fell on broken glass.
At police headquarters, Thordarson declined a more detailed interview with homicide detectives and asked to speak with an attorney.
Emily Thordarson was found by her brother, police said.
The Thordarson case is one of eight homicides in Seattle this year. There also was a fatal officer-involved shooting.
None of the homicides in Seattle are believed to be random killings. Only three cases do not have a suspect arrested or charged.
So far this year, Seattle has the same number homicides as Yakima -- a city roughly one seventh the size – according to a homicide count from the Yakima Herald.
Seattle is on pace for a less than 20 homicides -- a fraction of the homicide numbers in other major cities. Boston has 15 homicides so far in 2017, according to a site tracking the count. Chicago has 277, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Seattle’s deadliest year was 1994 with 69 homicides. Many were gang related.