Man Arrested In North Side Stabbing Death Body Found By Bicyclists In Alley

Timothy Gardner grabbed a kitchen knife late Saturday and stabbed Joseph Gustafson 22 times, Spokane police said.

Gardner hid the bloody clothes and the weapon, leaving Gustafson to crawl from a bathtub and die in the alley behind the home of Gardner’s girlfriend, Wanda Phillips, at 2518 E. Sinto, detectives said.

Gustafson’s body was found Sunday by bicyclists.

Gardner, 38, was arrested late Monday and booked into the Spokane County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder.

An argument leading to the stabbing began after Phillips and Gustafson, as well as Gustafson’s girlfriend, Kerri Blackmore, met for drinks at Jimmie’s Tavern, 1403 E. Illinois, Saturday night, Detective Richard Losh wrote in court affidavits.

Sometime after 8 p.m., they left the bar and Gustafson, 28, drove Phillips to her East Sinto home, Losh wrote. Blackmore did not come with them.

Phillips, 33, told police that Gardner, her live-in boyfriend, was home when she arrived and the pair started to argue.

Phillips said she was frightened because Gardner had hit her several times in the past. That night, she demanded he leave, Losh wrote.

Gustafson stood with her while Gardner called his brother for a ride. When Gardner demanded that Gustafson leave, he agreed to, then went to use the bathroom, Losh wrote.

Phillips told police she then saw Gardner walk into the master bedroom, where he had a kitchen knife in his backpack, and then into the bathroom.

She said Gardner went “berserk.” When Phillips ran into the bathroom, she saw Gustafson in the tub with Gardner on top of him, Losh wrote.

Gardner’s brother, Jerrold Gardner, yanked him off of Gustafson. Realizing what Timothy Gardner had done, Jerrold Gardner yelled, “Run, Wanda, run. He’ll kill you, too,” Losh wrote.

Phillips told police that a short time later Gardner forced her out of a van she was hiding in and demanded she walk with him along North Altamont. He took her jacket and sweater, which Gardner believed had blood on them, and shoved them under a car, Losh wrote.

Officers found the clothes under a car in front of 1608 N. Altamont. Phillips’ home was searched Sunday.

The pair went to the home of Gardner’s mother on Sunday after the stabbing. Phillips told Gardner that she was worried he had used her kitchen knives to stab Gustafson, detectives said.

Phillips said Gardner told her that he got rid of them. The weapon has not been found, detectives said.

Police spotted Gardner and Phillips about 11:30 p.m. Monday sitting on a bench in Grant Park.

Phillips was arrested on an unrelated outstanding warrant.

, DataTimes