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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Widow held in man’s death


Teresa Rodriguez, 42, was arrested Wednesday  in Dennis Coffey's death. 
 (Jed Conklin / The Spokesman-Review)

A teenage girl’s written account of how she watched her mother kill her father six years ago may help Spokane police solve a possible homicide case.

Detectives didn’t know until recently that the girl, then 11 years old, was an eyewitness when 48-year-old Dennis W. Coffey suffered fatal injuries in 2000.

On Wednesday, Teresa Rodriguez, 42, Coffey’s widow, was booked into Spokane County Jail on suspicion of first-degree manslaughter.

The couple’s daughter, whose name was not released, is now 17.

Rodriguez said in a jailhouse interview that she did not kill Coffey.

“We were both intoxicated, and when I left he was fine,” Rodriguez said, adding that the two of them often fought. “And the next thing I know, he was at the bottom of the stairs.”

As for why her daughter would say otherwise, Rodriguez said: “She was little then. She’s confused.”

Coffey never regained consciousness after his fall down the stairs in the family’s former home at 426 E. Eighth Ave., Apt. 3, said Spokane police spokesman Cpl. Tom Lee. Coffey died six days later.

His death has gone unsolved until now because of a lack of witnesses, Lee said. The daughter’s written statement, in the form of a letter, and assistance from the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police gave Spokane detectives the break they needed to solve the case, he said.

On the night of Oct. 20, 2000, Rodriguez told police, she was in bed and awoke to a terrible noise and found her husband at the bottom of a stairway.

The neighbors called 911 when they heard the noise, Rodriguez said Wednesday.

The daughter’s letter detailing the events of that night was found about three weeks ago.

“The 17-year-old left her personal belongings behind after staying at a women’s shelter on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation,” Lee said. “In it, employees found a letter stating she had witnessed her father’s murder.”

The girl stated she saw her mom push her father with both hands from the top of the stairway.

“He went airborne, flew the length of the stairs and landed on his back at the bottom of the stairs,” Lee said. “The employee contacted the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police, which we owe a lot of thanks to. They got a hold of us and gave us the documents. The detectives then went back out and interviewed the daughter.”

On Wednesday, Rodriguez scoffed when asked if she had ever been able to overpower her tall, robust husband.

But Spokane police interviewed two other witnesses who say they will testify that Rodriguez admitted to them she killed Coffey, Lee said.

The daughter told police she hadn’t come forward because she feared her mother. The two haven’t seen each other for several years.

Coffey worked as a sewing machine operator at All Seasons Clothing Co., Coeur d’Alene Tribal Cut and Sew in DeSmet and the K&L Clothing Co. in Spokane, according to his obituary. Court records show he had been charged with seven misdemeanor crimes in Spokane County between 1990 and 1999, and he was convicted of felony welfare fraud in 1993.

Rodriguez, who has a criminal past that involves theft and burglary, was arrested at the House of Charity on Wednesday. She’s homeless and said she hasn’t been able to leave Spokane County because she’s on probation for burglary.