In brief: Teen pleads not guilty to murder, assault
Accused killer Avondre Graham pleaded not guilty Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court to four charges stemming from attacks against three women.
Graham is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree attempted assault, first-degree robbery and third-degree assault. Graham, 17, appeared in court from the Spokane County Jail via a live video feed.
His bond is $1 million.
Police say Graham admitted stabbing Sharlotte McGill to death on May 3, according to court documents filed Wednesday, as well as attacking another woman with a mallet and stealing her phone as she walked on the Centennial Trail on Sept. 13.
He is also accused of punching and chasing a female Gonzaga University student on the Centennial Trail on Aug. 29.
A trial set for Nov. 19 is likely to be postponed.
Police: Man choked girlfriend unconscious
A registered sex offender is facing a charge of attempted murder after strangling his girlfriend unconscious in Post Falls, police say.
Kenneth Edward Schleining, 38, of Dalton Gardens, strangled his girlfriend in the parking lot of a West Expo Parkway gas station early Saturday, according to Post Falls Police Department detectives. When she regained consciousness, he told her to go back to sleep because she would be dead soon, they said.
The victim fought her way out of the vehicle and fled the area, police said. Detectives arrested Schleining on Tuesday.
Schleining’s sex-offender status stems from a 2005 conviction in Washington for third-degree unlawful sexual activity with a minor, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.
Authorities say Schleining has an extensive criminal history, including jail time in Boise for domestic violence after cutting his girlfriend’s throat.
Attorney charged with sexual assault
SEATTLE – A Seattle attorney suspected of sexually assaulting four massage therapists in Seattle, Shoreline and Bellevue has been charged with six counts of rape and attempted rape.
The King County prosecutor’s office said 47-year-old Danford Grant raped at knifepoint a massage therapist in Bellevue. He also is suspected of raping a massage therapist who worked from her Shoreline home and sexually assaulting two women at a massage clinic in Seattle. Grant was charged Thursday and is being held on $3 million bail.
Seattle police said employees of a massage parlor in Seattle called 911 Monday night to report that a suspect who recently assaulted an employee had returned. The employees chased the man down. He fled on foot but was caught a short distance later.
Police say teen is behind bomb threat
EVERSON, Wash. – Everson police said a 13-year-old boy who fell behind in homework called in a bomb threat to get more time to finish it.
Police Chief Erik Ramstead said investigators were able to track the phone call made Wednesday morning to a home in Whatcom County.
The Bellingham Herald reported the boy was arrested at Nooksack Valley Middle School.
Ramstead said the teen told officers he was overwhelmed by schoolwork and needed some extra time to catch up.
Police said the boy dialed 911 about 8 a.m. and told a dispatcher the school was going to “blow up” in two hours.
Buses were rerouted to a high school while staff and early arrivers were evacuated from the middle school. A bomb-sniffing dog was called in to ensure no explosives were hidden on campus.
Lt. governor fined $1,000 over reports
OLYMPIA – Lt. Gov. Brad Owen was fined $1,000 on Thursday for failing to submit finance reports related to his campaign and surplus accounts.
The Public Disclosure Commission approved the charge despite Owen’s request that he not be fined. Owen argued technical issues and poor advice from the commission led to the delayed filings.
“We did everything we possibly could,” Owen said. His mother served as his treasurer.
Assistant Attorney General Linda Dalton acknowledged there were indications that Owen and his treasurer had made an effort to properly file the documents. But she said it’s ultimately the politician’s responsibility to make sure reports have been submitted and are available for viewing on the Public Disclosure Commission’s website.
Half of the fine is suspended for two years, meaning Owen will not have to pay it if he has no other campaign finance violations during that span. PDC member Amit Ranade said the fine is lower than typical for the violations involved.
Owen has been lieutenant governor since 1997 and is seeking re-election against Republican Bill Finkbeiner.