Hoquiam Police conclude murder/suicide investigation

Originally Posted November 16, 2012

Hoquiam officers were called to the 3100 block of Sumner Avenue after a 24-year old Hoquiam man arrived home to find his father lying dead on top of his mother on the kitchen floor.

There were knives scattered around the bodies and both appeared to have suffered knife wounds.

The son had spoken to his mother on the phone less than an hour before discovering the bodies. She was planning to drive to another family member’s home but never arrived, prompting the son to return home to check on her.

There was no sign of forced entry and nothing appeared to be missing from the home.

Hoquiam officers had recently responded to the home on October 30 regarding a disorderly conduct call. There were no arrests made. This incident was apparently related to an earlier reported incident to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.

Earlier the same day, the sheriff’s office received a report that the husband was accused of a sex offense which had allegedly occurred 12-15 years earlier in Central Park.

According to Chief Criminal Deputy Steve Shumate of the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department, he was being investigated by detectives. The investigation was ongoing at the time of the homicide.

The Grays Harbor Coroner’s office conducted autopsies of the couple. The forensic pathologist concluded the wife suffered a defensive wound and several stab wounds which proved fatal. Her death was ruled to be a homicide

The pathologist determined her husband died as a result of multiple self-inflicted stab wounds. His death was ruled as a suicide.

There was no note found at the scene.

Chief Jeff Myers told KXRO that the police department will be holding a meeting with family members to answer questions regarding the investigation before the case is closed.

“It would be pure speculation as to (the motive) in the murder of his wife. Unfortunately, often these sort of tragic incidents have no answers.”

Both the sex offense investigation and the murder investigation were finalized by the deaths.