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A man from Washington is accused of fatally stabbing his wife 48 times and then attempting to attribute the crime to an alleged home invasion.
Kyle Cathcart is currently facing first-degree murder charges with an added penalty for using a deadly weapon in the case involving the death of his wife, Jodi Cathcart.
Kyle Cathcart Allegedly Claimed Intruder Broke Into Home
On the morning of May 1, Kyle dialed 911, claiming that both he and his wife had been attacked by an intruder in their Covington residence, as stated in a charging document obtained by Oxygen.
“Kyle reported losing consciousness at some point during the incident, leaving him unable to explain when the intruders fled,” detailed King County Sheriff’s Detective Christine Parks in the documents. “He alleged that the intruders forced their way into the home and that he attempted to fend them off.”
The probable cause statement reveals that deputies found a “bloody kitchen-style knife” in the hallway upon arrival, with Jodi’s body discovered in the back bedroom. Kyle, who had minor abdominal wounds, cuts on his hands, and a swollen area above his right eye, was transported to the hospital for treatment.
After his release, he told investigators that he was getting ready in an ensuite bathroom around 6:15 a.m. when he heard his wife scream his name. He told authorities that he went into the bedroom and discovered an unknown male wearing a dark hoodie cinched around his face, his blue eyes the only visible attribution. Kyle said the man was stabbing his wife with a chef’s knife from their kitchen, per the court records.
The man—who Kyle described as being the same height and weight as he was—then began “poking” Kyle in the stomach with the knife, giving him “superficial scratches,” according to the probable cause statement.
“Concerned for his children’s safety, Kyle chased after the suspect,” Parks wrote. “Kyle caught up to the suspect at the end of his hallway, and the two began fighting.”
Kyle allegedly told investigators he wrestled the knife out of the attacker’s hands but was knocked unconscious after he was slammed into the garage door. When he woke up, he said he called 911.
After arriving on the scene, per the charging documents, investigators recovered a large, zipped wallet in the entryway of the floor which Kyle said belonged to Jodi. He believed the intruder may have taken $800 from inside, authorities said.
Ring Doorbell Camera Provides Critical Evidence in Kyle Cathcart Investigation
The investigation took a turn, Parks wrote, after investigators examined the family’s Ring camera footage. The footage showed a figure wearing a dark sweatshirt with a hood over their head running out of the home around 6:49 a.m., however, there was no footage of anyone ever entering the house. Nor were there signs of forced entry, according to the court documents.
After finding what they believed to be blood on the base of the garage door near the keypad, investigators learned it was possible that “a person with knowledge of the garage door code or access to a garage door opener” could have entered the home without getting captured by the camera.
Authorities also discovered black clothing laying in a pile of garbage just over the fence in a neighbor’s yard. A black sweater with the words “Karate Mom” on the back—which friends and family said belonged to Jodi—had been turned inside out and placed in the pile, according to the probable cause statement. Investigators also found a pair of black pants with Kyle’s key for his truck in the back pocket and $901 in cash, per the court records.
Kyle Cathcart Allegedly Confessed to Killing His Wife
Upon making the discovery, investigators spoke to Kyle again and, this time, he allegedly admitted to killing his wife and trying to stage it as a robbery.
“On the morning of the homicide, Kyle put on Jodi’s clothes, retrieved a kitchen knife, and proceeded to stab her numerous times as she slept,” Parks wrote. “Jodi fought back before succumbing to her injuries. Kyle stated he attempted to kill himself with the knife, but that the knife was too dull. Kyle then purposefully removed items from Jodi’s wallet and fled out the front door to make it look like a robbery.”
Kyle allegedly told investigators that the day of Jodi’s death the family was expecting to receive a $6 million settlement as part of a lawsuit, however, he said that was a lie.
“Kyle confirmed that he had been lying to Jodi about money coming in from a lawsuit and stated that the stress from losing his job and the lies about his million-dollar lawsuits were too overwhelming,” Parks wrote in the statement. “Kyle’s ultimate plan was to kill Jodi, then take his own life, and leave their children with Jodi’s grandparents.”
The King County Medical Examiner determined that Jodi suffered approximately 18 lacerations to her hands, 11 to her arms, five superficial injuries to the chest, 14 lacerations other than her head and neck and had a sliced jugular.
“Rather than simply ask for a divorce—if he was so deeply unhappy with his life—the defendant chose to stab/slice his wife at least 48 times, with his minor children just a few yards away and in easy listening range of the victim’s screams,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas C. O’Ban wrote in court documents obtained by Oxygen, adding that he then made an “attempt to make the crime look like a robbery-gone-wrong.”
The couple’s adopted children—who are 7, 5 and 3—are now staying with close friends of the family, authorities said.
Friends Describe Jodi Cathcart as “Ball of Light”
Friends remembered Jodi as a devoted mom and advocate for children in need.
“Just a ball of light, her laughter was contagious, and she just made everybody feel better about themselves,” Anjulina Larsen told KOMO News. “She was encouraging. She was a tender spirit and just her heart for the foster community, the adoptive community, especially with adopting her own three kids. She wanted to broaden and expand those resources to others.”
It’s unclear whether Kyle has retained an attorney.