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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Court documents shed new light on Wednesday killing of 20-year-old woman; suspect’s bond set at $1 million

Alyssa C. Dodd, 20, died from blunt head injuries on Wednesday, according to the Spokane County Medical Examiner. Her death was ruled a homicide. (Facebook)
By Will Campbell and Emma Epperly The Spokesman-Review

When Trichelle Dodd found her sister Alyssa Dodd’s body in bed, under blankets covered in blood, with a plastic bag over her head and duct tape around her neck, she screamed, called 911 and attempted to perform CPR, according to court documents released Friday.

But it was too late for the 20-year-old, who was pronounced dead soon after she was discovered Wednesday at the Emerson-Garfield home the sisters shared with Alyssa’s boyfriend, Bryce J. Thompson, at 1603 W. Shannon Ave.

According to the Spokane County medical examiner, Dodd died from blunt head injuries.

Police have linked Thompson to her death. He was arrested and jailed in Missoula County, Montana, on Wednesday and was being held on $1 million bond on Friday, according to court records.

Trichelle Dodd told police that the last time she saw her sister alive was around 7 p.m. on Tuesday at their home, court documents say. That evening, she reportedly heard her sister and Thompson talking in their basement bedroom.

The next day, at around 12:15 p.m., Thompson came upstairs and was “acting weird,” Trichelle Dodd reportedly told police. He told Trichelle that Alyssa wasn’t feeling well and was nauseous that morning, according to court documents.

Trichelle briefly went to the store, returned and went downstairs to the bedroom Alyssa and Thompson shared.

There, she reporteldy found her sister’s body in bed.

A neighbor who lives across the street told police he saw a man fitting Thompson’s description leave the home carrying a backpack 30 minutes before police arrived, according to court documents. He said he saw the man start walking away then turn back and get in a car matching the description of Trichelle Dodd’s vehicle and drive away, court documents state.

Trichelle Dodd’s car is listed as stolen, court document show.

The police found a note reading, “I went crazy,” according to court documents.

A bloody trailer-hitch ball mount was found at the scene. Police believe the ball mount could have been used to cause the severe blunt force trauma, court documents say.

Trichelle had security cameras in her home that streamed to her phone, but it is unknown if the cameras were recording at the time of the crime. Thompson and Alyssa Dodd had been dating for six to eight months and living together just as long, Trichelle told police.

Trichelle Dodd declined to talk to The Spokesman-Review on Friday. On her Facebook page, she wrote that Alyssa Dodd was a selfless person who always saw the best in people.

“She impacted so many people, I am realizing, and it makes me happy, so happy, so many people got to know new her beautiful soul … it’s tragic she was ripped away from us in such a terrible way,” Trichelle wrote.