Man charged with fatally stabbing sister said he heard voices before the attack
A 19-year-old Artondale man stabbed his sister to death after hearing voices telling him to attack her, according to court documents.
Pierce County prosecutors on Thursday charged Reid Wasankari with first-degree murder for the death of his 23-year-old sister, who has not been publicly identified.
He pleaded not guilty at arraignment. Superior Court Judge Grant Blinn set bail at $1 million.
The attack happened just after 5 p.m. Wednesday at the family’s home on 73rd Avenue NW.
The sister suffered three stab wounds to the neck, as well as stab wounds to her arms and chest, records say.
Charging papers give this account of the homicide:
Wasankari’s mother was wrapping presents when she heard her daughter scream and saw her son run out of his sister’s bedroom. He told his mother about the stabbing before running out a sliding glass door.
The mother found her daughter lying on a bed with multiple stab wounds and tried to stem the bleeding while she called 911 for help. She allegedly told dispatchers her son has a history of mental illness and takes medication for a disorder.
Wasankari ran about two blocks before calling 911 and telling dispatchers he had stabbed his sister because “... I kinda lost my mind. I don’t know why. I’m insane, I’m literally insane.”
He also told dispatchers he had been seeing colors and hearing voices, “voices telling me to kill her,” according to charging papers.
Deputies responded to the family’s home and found Wasankari’s sister bleeding in her bedroom, her mother frantically trying to help. The victim was taken to Tacoma General Hospital, where she died.
An 8-inch folding knife was found on the bed near Wasankari’s sister.
Wasankari was taken into custody near the house. He declined to speak with detectives after being arrested.
This story was originally published December 24, 2020 at 11:23 AM.
