AWOL soldier charged in Kirkland knife slaying

AWOL soldier charged in Kirkland knife slaying
A 19-year-old soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in connection with the random attack on a Kirkland woman with a butcher knife on Nov. 30.

By Sara Jean Green
Seattle Times staff reporter

"At the time of Paxton's death, Wolf had been AWOL from his Army unit for about a month, the third time he'd gone AWOL, charging documents say."

A 19-year-old soldier from Joint Base Lewis-McChord was charged Thursday with first-degree murder in connection with the random attack on a Kirkland woman with a butcher knife on Nov. 30.

DNA evidence, fingerprints, video surveillance footage, bloody clothing and a particular brand of knife helped police connect the slaying of 19-year-old Scarlett Paxton to Dakota Wolf, a soldier who was staying at a friend's house less than 1 ½ miles from Paxton's apartment building, according to the charges filed by King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Wolf was arrested and turned over to the Army for being absent without leave (AWOL) within 24 hours of Paxton's slaying, charging papers say. A $2 million arrest warrant was issued Thursday for Wolf, who was to be transferred from base corrections facility to the King County Jail, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

"It appears that this violent, brutal, and protracted attack was unprovoked and random," charging papers say. "It further appears that the defendant, previously having armed himself with a large chef's knife, initially attacked the victim in one location then chased her to her apartment complex where he completed his attack."
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