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FERRY COUNTY - A Ferry County woman was killed Wednesday by her boyfriend, who also shot and injured a sheriff’s deputy responding to the domestic violence call Wednesday night, officials said.
The boyfriend then shot and killed himself at the home near Curlew, according to the Ferry County Sheriff’s Office.
Lisa Blakeney had worked as a deputy district court clerk, and her boyfriend was identified as Curtis Owens. Sheriff’s Office Deputy Edwin Lopez was shot in the leg but released from the hospital Thursday morning, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. Lopez is expected to make a full recovery.
Ferry County Commissioner Teresa Jenkins, who also serves as deputy Emergency Medical Services chief at Curlew Volunteer Fire and EMS, was part of the emergency crew that responded to the residence Wednesday. She was also a friend of Blakeney.
“I found her to be lively, full of energy, very anxious to help and do the right thing for everybody she came in contact with,” Jenkins said.
People who commented on the sheriff’s office Facebook post called Blakeney sweet and extremely helpful. One person called her “a true bright spot at the county.”
Ferry County 911 dispatch received the call reporting domestic violence after 9 p.m. Wednesday on Boulder Creek Road, according to the sheriff’s office’s original post.
Deputies responded to the residence and were immediately shot at through the door after knocking and announcing their presence. Deputies heard several shots from inside the home, the post stated.
Lopez was struck in the leg and taken to Ferry County Memorial Hospital in Republic.
Deputies pulled back and requested assistance from other agencies after the gunshots, the post said. Investigators worked well into the night and early Thursday morning processing the scene.
The sheriff’s office declined to comment further.
Jenkins said Blakeney has lived in the Curlew area for about four years.
Commissioners decided to close District Court on Thursday and Friday to allow court staff to grieve her death.
“That was a very tight-knit group,” Jenkins said.
SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — A jury could not come to an unanimous decision in the case of a Skagit County woman accused of killing another woman over a campaign sign in 2021.
Angela Conijn was charged in the death of 32-year-old Kamran Cohee.
Closing arguments were Tuesday, March 18. The jury deliberated for two days and indicated Thursday, March 20, that they could not reach a unanimous decision.
The Skagit County Prosecutor's Office said they will speak with Conijn's attorney about "different options moving forward." The prosecutor's office said it is prepared to retry the case if no resolution is reached.
On Feb. 13, 2021, Cohee and her boyfriend were driving home when they saw a political sign promoting Loren Culp for governor in Conijn's yard.
According to court documents, Conijn and her husband confronted the couple. There was a fight and Cohee's boyfriend said Conijn shot and killed Cohee.
Conijn's lawyer said she acted in self-defense, while prosecutors argued she shot after the confrontation was over.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A convicted killer, originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, could walk free next week, despite concerns from family members of one of his victims.
Former Washington Governor Jay Inslee authorized the release of Timothy Pauley on Inlsee’s last full day in office in January.
As a result, Pauley, serving three life sentences in a 1980 deadly armed robbery, is scheduled to be released from the Monroe Correctional Complex next Thursday.
“It was like a punch to the gut, I just couldn’t believe it,” said Angie Dowell.
Dowell’s father, Loran Dowell, was one of three employees killed in the June 1980 armed robbery of the Red Barn Tavern in South King County.
Pauley and Scott Smith were convicted for the killings of Dowell, Linda Burford, and Robert Pierre.
Both were sentenced to three life sentences, without any chance for parole.
But when state sentencing laws changed in 1984, parole became an option.
Pauley’s repeated attempts at parole were denied, until in 2022, when the Washington Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board approved his release.
But then-Gov. Jay Inslee blocked Pauley’s release.
He met with the Dowells, and former King County Sheriff Dave Reichert, one of the original detectives on the 1980 scene.
Inslee said Pauley had not shown remorse and did not take responsibility for his actions, cancelling the parole.
Later that fall, during another parole hearing, Pauley said he was sorry.
“I want to apologize and express my remorse for the horrible crime I committed on June 12, 1980,” Pauley told the Indeterminate Sentencing Review Board, “I have never been more sorry about anything in my life.”
Dowell’s family said they did not believe the apology was sincere.
In October 2024, Pauley’s attorney, Marla Zink, contacted the ISRB and Gov. Inslee’s office about Pauley’s case.
In a letter she said Pauley “has been working hard to remedy the deficiency in his showing of acceptance of responsibility and remorse, as first identified by the Governor.”
Zink said Pauley asked what he could do to “better express his genuine remorse and deep sense of accountability.”
She said her client attended counseling sessions and read books on the topic of accountability.
On January 14, then-Governor Jay Inslee rescinded and revoked his order to cancel the release of Pauley.
Inslee said after reviewing actions taken by Pauley, he was convinced Pauley was sorry, and had taken responsibility.
“I am satisfied that there is now adequate evidence of his (Pauley’s) full acceptance and remorse.”
Pauley was set for release Thursday, March 27.
Gov. Ferguson has authority to block the release, and an office spokesperson said the office is reviewing the case.
Angie Dowell and her sister, Kelley Tarp, said they are meeting with Ferguson Monday morning.
They plan on telling the governor they will fear for their safety is Pauley is let free.
“In cold blood he executed our father and Robert,” said Tarp.
Tarp said the family was assured Pauley would never be let out.
“If he walks out Thursday, it’s not justice,” said Tarp.
If released, Pauley would have to wear an ankle monitor tracking his location for the first 90 days.
He faces restrictions on where he can live, and travel in the state so he avoids contact with his victims, or their relatives.
Pauley’s attorney, Marla Zink, said her client is not a threat to anyone.
“The criminal justice experts on the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, the Department of Corrections’ own psychologists, and the former Governor all carefully weighed the record and determined he is rehabilitated and safe for release,” Zink said in an email.
SEATTLE — A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a man in the Belltown neighborhood on March 10, leading to his death days later.
The victim, a 55-year-old man, was found with stab wounds around 1:30 a.m. in the 2100 block of 1st Avenue. He died from his injuries on March 16.
On March 20, Homicide Unit detectives, in coordination with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit, Seattle Police Department SWAT, and the Edgewood Police Department, located and arrested the suspect in Edgewood, Washington.
The woman was booked into King County Jail for investigation of murder.
The Seattle Police Department did not release any other information about her, but said the investigation is ongoing.
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — A 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged following a brazen burglary at Sasquatch Bricks Toy Store, where over $10,000 worth of Legos were stolen.
The incident happened on February 13 around 5 a.m. when Pierce County Sheriff's Office deputies were sent to the toy store for a reported burglary. According to the caller, a man drove a U-Haul to the front of the store, broke in, and made off with the valuable Lego sets.
By the time deputies arrived, the suspect had fled, leaving the store in disarray.
Investigators worked the case for a month, gathering tips and reviewing surveillance footage. Their efforts led to the establishment of probable cause for a warrant on a storage unit located just a mile from the toy store.
When deputies arrived to serve the warrant, they found the suspect passed out in his vehicle parked outside the storage unit. The man, who the PCSO said has an extensive history of property crimes and weapons violations, was arrested.
Inside the storage unit, deputies discovered the stolen Legos hidden in the rafters. Additionally, they found guns, drugs, scales, and small baggies.
The man was charged with multiple crimes, possession of stolen property, unlawful possession of gun, possession of a stolen gun, unlawful possession of drugs with intent to distribute, and obstructing law enforcement.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Police Department released body-worn video that shows the moments leading up to a deadly shooting that occurred in West Seattle earlier this week.
The confrontation happened just before 12:30 p.m. on March 19 in an off-limits area behind the Southwest Precinct on Webster St. Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said his officers used a less-lethal device to try to stop this man, but the situation ultimately ended in a deadly shooting.
The first clue for many neighbors of the dangerous situation outside the police facility was the crack of gunfire coming from a fenced-off parking lot.
“All I heard was the rapid-fire, and I looked over here, and police were swarming in every direction,” said Mark Davis, who was outside working on a car just up the street.
According to investigators, a man with a knife made his way into a secure area where patrol vehicles are stored. Initially, several officers tried to talk him down.
“Officers attempted de-escalation tactics to include the deployment of a less than lethal device," Barnes said. The police chief said an officer used a 40 mm device that shoots sponge rounds, but it failed to subdue the man.
“The officers were unsuccessful at deploying the 40 mm, the person continued, and one officer discharged his weapon,” Barnes said.
Seattle police wouldn't say how many rounds were fired, but Davis, who was a short distance away, heard several.
“Four or five, for sure. It sounded like it all came from the same gun," Davis said.
The man died in that parking lot. Police did not immediately know his age or where he might be from.
An SUV encircled in crime scene tape was also parked in the Home Depot lot, up against the fence that surrounds the Southwest Precinct. Barnes said they were investigating any possible connection between the man who was shot and that vehicle. He also said someone called 911 just before the man entered the police parking lot.
The Force Investigation Team, the Office of Police Accountability, and the Office of Inspector General are now involved. They will all work to gather evidence and determine all the facts.
PORT ANGELES — Authorities arrested a local man last week after an investigation led to the discovery of drugs and firearms at a Port Angeles residence.
Officers with the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) took him into custody on a Department of Corrections (DOC) warrant at a home on the 200 block of S. Francis Street. A DOC search of the residence uncovered approximately 339 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 527 grams of suspected fentanyl, 121 grams of suspected cocaine, 23 grams of suspected heroin, and a variety of pills, including fentanyl and Xanax. Officers also recovered three firearms, two of which had been reported stolen.
The suspect, 44-year-old Justen W. Defrang, is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms. He was booked into Clallam County Jail. The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) is pursuing additional charges, including multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, and possession of a stolen firearm.
The investigation remains ongoing.
PORT ANGELES — Clallam County’s expanded approach to supporting individuals with opioid use disorder has resulted in zero overdose deaths post jail release throughout the life of the program.
The program, known as Help, Opportunity, Prevention and Medication (HOPE), provides medication and reentry services to individuals who come through jail with an alcohol or opioid addiction.
The end goal is to reduce recidivism and provide people assistance to help them become productive citizens, Sheriff Brian King said during a presentation to the Port Angeles Noon Rotary on Wednesday.
For the past few years, Clallam County has hovered between first and third for the highest rate of overdose death rates in the state, HOPE program manager Kelly Hall said.
“We have sat there for the entire span of the fentanyl epidemic,” she said.
After HOPE, Hall said the county is the 10th highest in the state.
“We’d like to keep that dropping down,” Hall said.
The HOPE program kicks into action as soon as individuals are booked into jail. At that point, staff ask whether the individual has an opioid use disorder or is going to go through withdrawal.
“It’s not about judging or bias or stigma,” Chief Criminal Deputy Amy Bundy said.
Instead, that question is designed to determine if an individual needs help, she said.
If people require support, medical jail staff will work to verify pre-prescribed medications such as methadone and help provide those at the jail.
If the individual does not have prescribed medication or the prescription cannot be verified, staff offer the individual the option of microdosing. Bundy said that allows patients to build up tolerance in a safe and effective way, so once individuals are released from jail, their built-up tolerance will protect them from overdose deaths.
“The microdosing protocol is one of the biggest game-changers we’ve had in the process,” Hall said.
Someone with opioid use disorder is 10 times more likely to die of an overdose once they leave jail, usually within the first two weeks of release, Hall said.
“This program was designed to get people with OUD medication, so they don’t leave the jail with zero tolerance, because people with no tolerance go out and they die,” Hall said.
HOPE doesn’t end at the jail walls, however. The county also employs a re-entry specialist who provides at least three months of re-entry support, including assisting with medication, helping with inpatient treatment and transporting the individual when needed.
Because insurance typically won’t cover health needs when an individual is incarcerated, the program’s holistic services also work to help reinstate insurance or use grant funding to cover the costs.
To ensure no one gets lost in the network of society, Hall said the program utilizes multiple “capture points” outside the facility such as shelters, the harm reduction center and more. This ensures that, even when people are released from jail, they can still be found so services and support can be offered.
“We’re able to follow up with the person and make sure their needs are met,” Hall said.
The HOPE program is completely grant funded, Bundy said. This month, the county was awarded $1 million in state funding to continue this program, King said.
During the first year of the program, which expanded a previous county program, the county served 128 people. In 2023, the county served 244 people.
The increased numbers were a result of introducing the microdosing protocol into the jail and an expansion of who was eligible for services, Hall said.
Overall, the program has seen 162 inpatient treatment placements for 124 individuals. There are only about 10 people who have required multiple repeated placements, Bundy said.
From 2023 to 2024, the county reduced fatal overdoses by 33 percent.
“That’s a statistic that’s just really near and dear to my heart,” Hall said.
EVERETT - An Everett man is now in custody for an attack involving a pipe bomb, used to blow up an SUV at an apartment complex on New Year’s Eve.
In a security video obtained by KIRO 7, someone can be seen wearing a headlight in a parking lot and throwing an object through the SUV’s window.
The car alarm goes off, and about 30 seconds later there’s an explosion, with glass and debris flying everywhere.
This week, Everett PD arrested 54-year-old Steven Goldstine, who lives just a few blocks away from where the crime happened.
The victims, a married couple, say the suspect would come to their complex to visit a friend in another unit.
One of the victims has a breathing condition and says she repeatedly complained about the suspect and friends smoking near her vehicle — they would respond with racial slurs.
The husband and wife are Black.
The wife said her husband got into a fight with the suspect weeks earlier and that the pipe bomb was retaliation.
The victim later got a voicemail, saying: “Hey, you (racial slur and expletive) … are you still having breathing problems?… how is your car running?… boy, what an explosion that was.”
The wife briefly spoke with KIRO 7, asking not to show her face.
“I hope he stays in jail for a long, long time and he needs to pay for my car and emotional damage that he has done,” she said.
Police arrested Goldstine and said they found 750 rounds of ammo and a stockpile of fireworks at his home.
He is facing charges of arson, possession of an explosive device, and committing a hate crime.
He’s in custody on $500,000 bail.