A 42-year-old violent felon who’s been arrested at least 65 times was released from jail two days before allegedly stabbing a man and woman over 160 times total in a double murder in Seattle on Sunday.
What are the details?
Seattle police arrested John Marcel Williams for killing a 53-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman inside an apartment on the 6100 block of 4th Ave S in the city’s Georgetown neighborhood, KOMO-TV reported.
The man was found with more than 60 stab wounds; the woman was found with more than 100 stab wounds, KCPQ-TV said.
The murders occurred around 4:15 p.m., KOMO said, adding that residents said a neighbor called 911 after finding the two victims inside the apartment.
The victims were identified in court documents as Maryanne Wooden and Howard Hicks, the station said.
Court documents indicate the suspect was seen on surveillance video walking toward the apartment with Wooden “then leaving the apartment” and appearing to “have blood on his hands,” KOMO reported.
Police got a 911 call about 30 minutes later in regard to a man walking around covered in blood and arrested the suspect within walking distance of the murder scene, the station said.
What do we know about Williams?
Court records show Williams has at least 65 arrests out of California and four arrests this year in Washington state for attempted rape, property destruction, vehicle prowling, unlawful use of weapons, and misdemeanor assault, KOMO said.
Williams was arrested Labor Day weekend for attacking workers at Bacco Café near Pike Place Market — but only charged with misdemeanor assault, the station said.
“That was the call by Seattle Police, and usually that’s done because of evidence or what they’re able to prove, before they send it to our office or the city attorney’s office,” Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told KOMO.
The Seattle City Attorney’s Office added to the station that it negotiated a plea agreement for Williams to serve 60 days in jail with the rest of his nearly year-long sentence suspended for 24 months.
Williams pleaded guilty to three counts of misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to 56 days in jail with credit for time served, KOMO said, and was released Friday — two days before police said he committed the double murder.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office told the station Williams’ attempted rape case from July hadn’t been sent yet to its office for felony charges, but that case is still under investigation.
Williams waived his first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon, KOMO said, adding that a judge found probable cause for two counts of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement. A bail hearing will take place Wednesday, the station said.
‘Nobody deserves to die like that’
Nearby residents were shaken by the double murder, KOMO said.
“Nobody deserves to die like that,” Shelley Young, who lives nearby, told the station. “I’m scared; I keep myself in the house most of the time.”
John Terhofter, who also lives nearby, noted to KOMO that “Maryanne was a good friend of mine, caring person, really caring. It’s sad.”
Terhofter added to the station that he “went down there, the door was open, I just looked, I saw somebody on the floor.”
Georgetown double homicide suspect a no-show in court, has previous record | FOX 13 Seattle youtu.be
(H/T: The Post Millennial)