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October 14, 2010 in City
‘Graphic’ attack likely leaves inmate blind
Officers say convicted killer gouged out cellmate’s eye
A violent inmate who tortured and killed his cellmate at the Spokane County Jail six years ago, resulting in a $180,000 settlement by the county, is accused of gouging out another cellmate’s eye at Airway Heights Corrections Center this week.
Michael L. West, 34, attacked Chad E. Bolstad, 25, on Sunday night in a cell the men shared with another inmate, officials said Wednesday.
Bolstad’s “left eye was gouged out at the socket, and the right eye was damaged to the point where it appears he’s going to lose sight, too,” said Airway Heights police Chief Lee Bennett. “It was pretty graphic. He was using his bare hands.”
West threatened to attack the third cellmate, Gary L. Welch, telling Welch “about how he’s Lucifer and he wants him to bow to him,” Bennett said.
Welch pressed a panic button to notify prison staff about 9:40 p.m., and West attacked him, according to police. Prison guards arrived to find West trying to strangle Welch with a towel, Bennett said. Bolstad’s left eye was hanging out of its socket.
“It was a very intense crime scene,” Bennett said.
Spokane lawyer Jeffry Finer, who represented the family of the inmate West killed in 2004, questioned why West was at a medium-security facility with cellmates.
“I’m not surprised that West may have done this,” Finer said. “Given his attack on Christopher Rentz and how horrific it was, it’s hard to fathom why he would be placed in confinement with any cellmate.”
West was awaiting trial for raping and stabbing his girlfriend in 2004 when he and another cellmate killed 21-year-old Christopher L. Rentz after watching an uncut DVD release of “The Passion of the Christ.” In 2007, Spokane County settled a $5.65 million federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Rentz’s family for $180,000.
Rentz was a property crimes suspect when he was housed in a cell with West and Brandon M. Martin, who were maximum-security inmates. West pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the October 2004 attack; Martin pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance. He’s serving a life sentence for killing two men in Mead in October 2003.
Airway Heights spokeswoman Risa Klemme said West, Bolstad and Welch recently arrived at the medium-security prison and were temporarily sharing a cell.
Klemme said DOC officials are investigating why West was placed at Airway Heights on Sept. 28. He has been transferred back to the maximum-security Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
“He had the custody level to be here,” Klemme confirmed, but prison officials are investigating how West achieved that custody level. “We have a lot of offenders that have committed violent crimes that have earned their way through the classification process,” she said.
Bolstad is scheduled to be released in 2015 for assault and robbery convictions stemming from a 2007 beer robbery that involved a stabbing. Welch is serving time for forgery, theft and drug convictions in Douglas and Chelan counties and is to be released in August.
West is not scheduled to be released until 2048.
Klemme said West was classified as a minimum-security inmate but wasn’t eligible for work camps because of his long sentence.
Now West faces two charges of attempted first-degree murder, Bennett said. Detectives are awaiting an interview with him; Bennett said he was “just too far out there” when they tried talking to him after the attack.
Bolstad’s father declined comment. His family has contacted an attorney. Bolstad is in stable condition at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Human trafficking suspects released 
horse_feathers on October 14 at 9:14 a.m.
Meghann,
So West and Martin watched “Passion of the Christ” before killing Rentz. What has that to do with the killing?
If they had watched “Love potion Number 9” would they have been more predisposed to kiss Rentz to death?
Itsgodswill on October 14 at 10:05 a.m.
Um have you watched passion of the christ? It’s a pretty violent movie. I could absolutely see how somebody could “get idea’s” after watching that. Especially somebody who already has a violent past, and then see’s such violence in a movie..I don’t see how it’s so hard to believe that it may have been some sort of motivation..
horse_feathers on October 14 at 10:13 a.m.
Itsgodswill,
Watched it, didn’t even think about killing anyone, sorry.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on October 14 at 11:34 a.m.
I’m sure there’s a way we can blame Obama for this.
bumblebeetuna on October 14 at 11:34 a.m.
So stupid. Tax payers will now have to shell out settlements or damages to the victims, and rightly so. Nobody in government jobs every worries about the details. That’s somebody else’s job. A man who tortured and killed his cell mate should have cell mates! Especially at a medium security prison.
Itsgodswill on October 14 at 12:05 p.m.
I didn’t say that everybody who watches it will have the desire to kill somebody else, did I? Sure didn’t!
This is somebody who has already been known to have violent tendencies, not a normal individual. I watched the movie and didn’t have any desire to kill anybody either. However, I can see how a violent person could get violent idea’s from..well, a violent movie..It’s not that difficult to link together if you’ve got even an average IQ.
Thoreau on October 14 at 12:34 p.m.
For a minute there, I thought the attacker was Mel Gibson…
Bucky on October 14 at 12:44 p.m.
Individuals who have been convicted of what sounds like (an earlier) violent attack, should not be allowed “good time” credit and be segregated from other inmates. Wow. (S.R. see you deleted my earlier post, it’s nice that freedom of thought and speach is alive an well.)
Jennifer86 on October 14 at 12:46 p.m.
I think all of you need to put the religion part aside and look at the the topic on hand. Regardless of the movie he watched, he again assaulted another one of his cell mates almost to the point of death. Someone like this doesn’t even need to be around anyone. He is wasting our tax money and putting other people at risk. Of course, here is another criminal who slipped through the judicial cracks and now another man is injured because of this. This is the real problem, not what stupid movie he watched!
crhys on October 14 at 12:48 p.m.
He could probably also get some ideas from watching old Looney Tunes episodes of Wile E Coyote and Road Runner.
Itsgodswill on October 14 at 1:28 p.m.
Put the religion part aside? Nobody said anything about the religious aspect of that movie. It doesn’t matter what religion it is regarding, the fact is that it’s a violent movie, which was my only point. I don’t care whether the movie is religious, that has nothing to do with my statement. I didn’t say that watching the movie CAUSED him to kill or attack anybody, I said somebody could get idea’s from it. When something isn’t right in the human brain, things CAN trigger certain reactions and im not sure why they would allow a convicted killer to watch a movie full of torture and killing.
With that said, I agree that there is a bigger issue at hand other then the movie. I was just responding to a comment ; )
liarsinnews on October 14 at 4:25 p.m.
bumblebeetuna: While I agree with you, there might be one exception to what you`ve posted. I think it might not be a bad idea to place him in the same cell with a known child molester.
spokanecommunistparty on October 14 at 6:50 p.m.
Did he levitate or make the walls bleed? If so than I bet they won’t talk about it. If crazy possessed people really do exist than jail is where they would end up.
Tjlouden23 on October 14 at 7:13 p.m.
Yea West is a straight bitch and Brandon Martin is a sucker to he killed my two friend out in mead now hes locked up for life in the one place he didnt want to end up, hopefully they all get what is comin to em, watchin a movie then killing someone i dont care thats childish and just an excuse for them to say why they did it. Brandon martin is a loser to if i
onewhocares on October 18 at 11:46 a.m.
i want to say something bout all ur post… I understand what ur all sayin an where ur comin from… michael is a very violent person now but, if you would of known him befor all this happened to him u would understand a little more… Michael has had a very messed up child hood an life you could say… His parents have always done drugs an treated him an his siblings like sh**… Michael never got to be a kid he was always tryin to help take care of the younger ones… Then in 1991 his sister got kidnapped an killed with her best friend… Michael has been threw alot of stuff threw his child hood an adult hood… I know its not an excuse for him to do the things he has done now but, when you have a fu**ed up child hood it gets you if you cnt controle it… Michael has alot of mental problems but, its like they dnt want to help him with them… All they keep doin is puttin him with other people when they know no matter what he is not to be with them…. You cnt put this all off on Michael its nt just his fault.. Ya he does wrong when he hurts those poor people but, if they would stop puttin him with them then it wouldnt happen.. you know its there fault to…. I love my brother very much an it hurts every day to know the things he does an to hear or see the things people say about him but, he’s still my brother… Dnt get me wrong i have alot of hanger at him for the stupied sh** he does but, if you would of known him then you would understand a little more… i dnt know what else to say.. i could go on for a long time bout the things michael has been threw but, its like nothin anyone says matters…. all i ask is please understand what im tryin to say bout him….
maritamyles on February 21 at 4:47 p.m.
i knew chad he used to come over all the time he used to take my grandkids to the mall i couldn’t believe it when i first heard of chad stabbing the guy at the 7 11 that is horrible glad he is out of our lives now but he didn’t deserve to have to have his eyes gouged out his mom was a neat woman