EVERETT — Prosecutors have charged an Everett woman with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of her husband, Quinton Blatchford.
Meanwhile, Everett police detectives obtained a search warrant to photograph the defendant, Melissa Blatchford. Investigators said they were looking for any possible evidence that the Everett woman had been assaulted before the Dec. 30 shooting.
A neighbor told detectives that he’d heard the Blatchfords arguing for about 20 minutes inside their apartment on Walnut Street. He reported hearing screaming and loud thumps. He told police it sounded like Melissa Blatchford was being pushed or thrown up against a wall, according to a search warrant filed Wednesday. The man told investigators that it sounded like she was going to be thrown through the wall. He didn’t hear a gunshot.
Officers found Quinton Blatchford, 42, with a gunshot wound to the head. He died on Saturday at Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, where he had been on life support.
Melissa Blatchford, 30, reportedly told the first officers to arrive that she didn’t mean to shoot her husband. She said she didn’t know the gun was loaded.
A detective at the time examined her for injuries. The detective noted that Blatchford had small cuts to her forearms but he didn’t see any injuries that would indicate she’d been assaulted, according to the search warrant.
Another detective asked a judge earlier this week to allow police officers to photograph Blatchford using an alternative light source. The special light can reveal deep bruising and other injuries that may not be noticeable under normal lighting conditions.
The detective also asked to collect Blatchford’s DNA to compare against evidence collected at the scene, including blood.
Blatchford bail has been set at $500,000 by an Everett District Court. Prosecutors have until Jan. 20 to refile the case in Snohomish County Superior Court.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com.
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