A new Miss Washington USA will receive her crown Saturday night, two weeks after the former winner resigned over a conviction for driving under the influence.
Stormy Keffeler had not disclosed her DUI to pageant officials when she competed in the fall.
On Friday, KIRO 7 obtained Seattle police records, showing Keffeler had called 911 in December, regarding her boyfriend being stabbed.
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Police responded to the apartment of her boyfriend, former Sounders player Marco Pappa, and reported that “Keffeler’s story did not stay consistent and continued to change.”
Later, a Spanish-speaking officer learned from Pappa at Harborview that the couple had come from dinner at the Pink Door at Pike Place Market. He denied that Keffeler stabbed him.
The report also described “blood leading from the front door to the kitchen area.” Police found blood splatter on the wall of the bathroom and stab marks in the wall.
There were no latent fingerprints found on the bloody kitchen knives, and no one has been charged in this ongoing investigation.
Maureen Francisco is the co-executive director of Northwest Productions, which produces contests within the Miss Universe Organization.
Francisco said she talked to Keffeler upon her resignation.
“She was genuinely sorry, and we had a great talk. I told her, ‘your past does not define your future,’” Francisco said.
Francisco said she encourages all the contestants to be open and honest, because the truth will ultimately come to light.
Francisco said that as a winner, "You are somebody who needs to make sure that she has her act together."
That description fits Kelsey Schmidt, the first runner-up, who will now take the Miss Washington USA title.
Schmidt, 26, is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington, working on her dissertation at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
She’s currently investigating lifestyle factors that impact risk for chronic disease. Schmidt said she’s eager to talk to young girls about nutrition.
"As Miss Washington USA, I get my foot in the door. And then the fact that I am working toward a Ph.D. helps give me credibility. So I think my message is just better heard having the pair together," she said.
Schmidt said she's excited about her unique crowning ceremony, even though it's not how one typically wins on stage.
With all the negativity surrounding Keffeler, Schmidt said, "I need to be just as active about really sharing my message, and sharing the messages of the other young women competing, to kind of counteract that."
She said she wishes Keffeler the best, saying the former winner was very gracious in wishing her luck via social media.
Schmidt now has the task of presenting what the organization stands for, which she said is female empowerment.
She is the first Asian-American winner in at least 15 years, and if she wins at the national level, would also be the shortest contestant to ever take the Miss USA title.
"We're helping redefine what is beautiful. And smart is beautiful. It's OK if you're short. It's OK if you're ethnic," Schmidt said.
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