Suspect in two Clarkston attacks arrested

A homeless man accused of stabbing a man who offered him a meal and attacking another homeless man at the Riverview boat ramp in Clarkston is behind bars in the Asotin County Jail on a temporary bond of $500,000.

Clarkston police spotted William B. Walters walking east on Bridge Street in front of Community Bank on Christmas Day at about 2 p.m., Clarkston Police Cmdr. Josh Daniel said.

After stopping Walters, Clarkston police contacted the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office, and its officers made the arrest because they were looking for Walters for possible attempted murder in the slashing and stabbing of Dustin K. Ankney on Monday night, Daniel said.

Clarkston police had been looking for Walters for robbery and assault for an alleged attack Dec. 20 of Patrick E. Gabiola, who had met Walters at a Lewiston warming shelter, but did not know his name when the two drank alcohol together the night of the incident.

Clarkston police were acting on a tip from Gabiola, who was allegedly attacked by Walters around 10 p.m. Dec. 20 at the boat ramp in Clarkston, Daniel said. Gabiola spotted Walters near Albertsons in Clarkston and called police, Daniel said.

Thursday afternoon, Asotin County Prosecutor Ben Nichols charged Walters with first-degree assault for allegedly slashing and stabbing of Ankney on Monday night and second-degree assault for allegedly threatening Chantel Turner on Monday night. Nichols also charged Walters with first-degree robbery and second-degree assault for the alleged attack on Gabiola and the alleged theft of Gabiola’s backpack.

Walters faces up to life in prison and a $50,000 fine each on the first-degree assault and robbery charges, and up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine each on the second-degree assault charges if convicted.

Walters was intoxicated when he approached Gabiola around 8 p.m. Dec. 20 and asked him if he wanted to drink alcohol, court documents said. Gabiola was at the gazebo at the Army Corps of Engineers boat launch area in Clarkston, where the two men drank alcohol for about two hours, court documents said.

Gabiola sat at a picnic table at the boat launch area when Walters allegedly “came up behind him and pulled Patrick (Gabiola) off the bench” and assaulted him by “pushing his fingers into Patrick’s eyes,” court documents said.

Walters allegedly bit off a portion of Gabiola’s left ear during the attack and also bit Gabiola’s finger, Daniel said.

Gabiola then passed out from the pain of the attack, court documents said. He woke up Saturday morning and a passerby contacted police and an ambulance for him, court documents said.

Gabiola’s backpack was missing when he awoke and his eyes were swollen shut, Daniel said.

Whitman County Superior Judge Gary Libey, filling in for Asotin County as Judge Scott Gallina is on paid administrative leave awaiting trial in March, set a temporary $500,000 bond with several conditions for release, including Walters would have to establish a residence for the court to keep in contact with him throughout the case. No firearms, no knives, no weapons and no alcohol were other conditions of his release, should he post bond.

The actions at court Thursday were temporary until Walters could be represented by counsel. Libey appointed attorney Scott Chapman to represent Walters at Thursday’s hearing in the Asotin County District courtroom. Libey set Walters’ next court date for Jan. 6.

Nichols requested the large bond because it would cause a “great concern for the community should Mr. Walters be released.” Arguing for the large bond, Nichols listed Walters’ criminal record in Alaska and his numerous run-ins with the law since arriving in the Clarkston area sometime between August and October.

Walters had three felony assault charges or convictions and a misdemeanor theft in Alaska between 2015 and August 2019, Nichols said. Law enforcement in this area first encountered Walters on Oct. 30, when he was found drunk and sleeping in the bushes at McDonald’s in Clarkston, Nichols said.

On Nov. 2, Walters allegedly pulled a knife in a fight and was facing disorderly conduct and brandishing a weapon charges; he was suspected in a Nov. 3 tire slashing of the vehicle of the man Walters allegedly fought with the day before; and was seen lurking Nov. 13, Nichols said. Those were in addition to the alleged incidents with Gabiola, Ankney and Turner, Nichols said.

Ankney, 43, of Clarkston, was at Walmart when he met Walters on Monday. Ankney invited Walters to his residence for dinner, but Walters “was indignant over what he was being served and was verbally escalating,” when Ankney and his girlfriend, Turner, asked him to leave the residence, according to Asotin County Undersheriff Jody Brown.

Walter then allegedly attacked Ankney when he was escorting the homeless man to the door.