Man allegedly stabs girlfriend, drives car off Ketron Island ferry dock | king5.com

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KETRON ISLAND, Wash. — A man accused of stabbing his girlfriend to death drove his car off the Ketron Island ferry dock late Sunday night, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office (PCSO).

The man was found dead late Monday morning inside the submerged car. His body was pulled out around noon by rescue divers. The car had not been recovered as of Monday night.

A call came into 911 dispatch at about 9 p.m. Sunday reporting that a man living on Ketron Island had stabbed his girlfriend. Neighbors found the woman with multiple stab wounds and tried to provide aid in a neighbor's yard, but she was later pronounced dead.

"Sounds like some of the neighbors had some medical skills and attempted some lifesaving measures on that victim, which obviously we're very thankful for," said Carly Cappetto, Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesperson. "But there were multiple stab wounds and pretty significant injuries. So it was very unfortunate that she was not able to be saved."

The Sheriff's Office said the suspect called the ferry dock and said he had stabbed his girlfriend. They said the employee called 911.

Neighbors reported seeing the man driving away recklessly, then hearing a loud crash at the ferry dock. They saw what they believed to be a car floating in the water.

Deputies with the PCSO responded shortly after and took the Steilacoom Ferry over to Ketron Island. Dive teams responded later that morning and found the car submerged in water with the man's body still inside.

The PCSO said it took an hour to get deputies to the island due to the lack of transportation options, noting it is a "pretty significant delay." The island is a private island with around 15 residents.

Cappetto said the island is difficult to get to and they do not have the resources to have a deputy stationed on the island. She said deputies got there as quickly as they could Sunday night.

Multiple residents of the island who tried to give medical aid to the victim expressed concern to KING 5 over emergency response times to the island, specifically medical responses for emergencies, like the stabbing.

The one-year-old child the two shared was found safe with neighbors and will be placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.

"We have not just the family and the child recovering from the situation, we have neighbors and the community of Ketron that will need to recover from this," Cappetto said.

The investigation remains ongoing.