Seattle Legal Blog: Divorce, Child Custody, Domestic Violence & Mediation

Five Out Of Seven 2010 Seattle Homicides Have Domestic Violence Connection

When we think about murder in Seattle, we might think of dark alleys, gang activity, poverty, or bad neighborhoods. But the truth is that a large percentage of homicides in Washington State are not related to street violence or even drug violence – but to violence between family members and couples. In fact, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer cited a shocking fact this week: of the seven murders that have taken place within Seattle city limits in 2010, five have been related to domestic violence.

In the most recent Washington domestic violence homicide case, a 74-year-old Ballard man bludgeoned his 75-year-old wife to death after an argument. The woman died as she was being rushed to the hospital, while her husband jumped from the couple’s sixth floor apartment, still clutching a hammer. One month earlier, a North Seattle man shot his girlfriend multiple times in a motel room before taking his own life.