Wife allegedly tortured with stun gun

A Spokane woman’s claim that her estranged husband tortured her with a stun gun, handcuffs and threats of death has dismayed even officers accustomed to investigating reports of domestic violence.

“It’s rare we get something that is so violent with this much force,” said Detective Stephanie Barkley. “This is kind of a spooky thing. I think she’s lucky to be alive.”

Officers responded at 1 a.m. Thursday after a caller said 25-year-old Donna Theodorson had been tortured by her estranged husband.

Some 45 minutes later, Patrick Ray Theodorson, 34, also called police from a friend’s house and claimed Donna had assaulted him, Barkley said.

Officers responded and found Donna Theodorson’s face was extremely swollen. She also had burn marks and bruises from what appeared to be more than a dozen hits by a stun gun, Barkley said.

Stun guns shock their victims when electrodes touch the skin, Barkley said.

“At first she thought she was being stabbed. She has purple bruises where the contact burns are,” Barkley said.

Donna Theodorson had the circular wounds in four to six locations under her left upper chest; four wounds under her left arm; one or two wounds on her right hip and a couple of wounds on her right groin, Barkley said.

“There is a possibility that she has a broken orbital bone around her eye socket,” she said.

The incident started at about midnight when Donna Theodorson agreed to go to Patrick Theodorson’s residence at 634 W. Buckeye to finalize their divorce papers. They had been separated for about a year, Barkley said.

After talking for some time, Patrick Theodorson “motioned as if he were going to give her a hug,” Barkley said. “But he hit her with a Taser in the chest. The victim actually believed that he was going to kill her.”

The wife told police that Patrick Theodorson hit her multiple times with the stun gun before punching her in the face with his fist. He then shackled her in handcuffs, Barkley said.

“He told her he was going to rape her and then kill her,” Barkley said. “Then he said he was going to have someone else rape and kill her. Then he said he was going to kill her and then himself.”

At some point, the suspect grabbed a .22-caliber pistol and forced Donna Theodorson to point the gun at the floor and fire one shot so that her fingerprints would be on the gun, Barkley said.

“He told her, ‘I’m going to kill myself and make it look like you did it,’ ” Barkley said.

After firing the round, Donna Theodorson was able to escape and run back home to where a friend was waiting. The friend dialed 911.

Officers also responded to Patrick Theodorson’s call, in which he claimed that Donna Theodorson had assaulted and held a gun on him, police spokesman Dick Cottam said.

“Officers observed no injuries on him,” Barkley said.

Patrick Theodorson, who has two previous domestic violence assault convictions from 1994 and 1995, was arrested on charges of second-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful imprisonment.

Investigators obtained a search warrant and found the .22 pistol and a spent shell casing exactly where Donna Theodorson said they would find them, Barkley said. However, officers have not been able to find the stun gun reportedly used in the assault.

“She’s been through serious torture,” Barkley said of Donna Theodorson. “She is mostly fearful that he would do this to someone else.”