A 19-year-old woman in Washington state has been arrested and charged with murder following conflicting statements regarding the death of her 73-year-old landlord, which she claimed was in self-defense.
The police became involved after receiving a call around 7:15 PM on Friday, October 25, from the suspect’s brother-in-law, who reported that his sister-in-law had contacted her sister—his wife—claiming she had killed someone and showed her the body via video call.
Authorities have not yet released the identities of those involved. When police reached out to the suspect, she initially denied any knowledge of a dead body, telling the dispatcher it was just a joke and that she was in Everett with a friend. However, after further questioning, her story shifted, and she reportedly confessed, stating, “I killed her.”
The suspect described the incident, claiming her landlord “tried to punch me, and I stabbed her.” Additional details emerged from the probable cause documents released by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, indicating that the suspect had been living in the building for about a year.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered the deceased woman inside the residence. The suspect was read her Miranda Rights and confessed again to the murder during questioning. She explained that she had recently fallen behind on rent, which she said triggered the incident.
According to her account, the landlord had pulled her into another room to discuss the unpaid rent and then struck her in the face. The suspect alleged that a fight ensued, during which the victim “pulled her hair and the drawstring on her hoodie.” In response, she claimed to have hit the victim “hard” and stabbed her “twice with a knife that was already in the room.”
When detectives asked what might have happened if she hadn’t stabbed the landlord, the suspect reportedly replied, “Nothing,” stating that her landlord “would still be alive and I wouldn’t be here.”
The brother-in-law revealed that the suspect had made threats for the past month, saying she would kill her landlord “if she asked her again about paying rent.” He mentioned they did not take her threats seriously. He and the suspect’s sister had lived in the same residence but moved out a month prior; however, the landlord continued to contact them regarding the suspect’s overdue rent.
The suspect has been charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held in King County Jail on a $2 million bond.
