Woman says she was held hostage for ‘multiple days’ in Gig Harbor home; suspect dead
A 27-year-old woman told police she was held against her will and beaten by a man before escaping in Gig Harbor.
The injured woman reportedly walked to a home in the 10800 block of Sehmel Drive at 10:03 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. She told the residents she just escaped a home nearby after being held hostage for “multiple days.” She said an older man had beaten her immediately prior to her escape. The woman had several deep lacerations to her head, according to a Gig Harbor Police Department news release issued Monday, Nov. 20.
The woman told police she’d been picked up by the man, whom she did not know, in either King County or Thurston County sometime in the days prior to her escape. The woman admitted to drug use, the release said.
The release said that police were not able to get much information from the woman before she was taken to the hospital for treatment. They were able to identity the home that she described. Police discovered blood on the outside porch of the house. Gig Harbor officers and Pierce County sheriff’s deputies tried anyone. There was no response, the release said.
Officers obtained a search warrant and went inside the house. They discovered a 66-year-old man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. There was also evidence that someone tried to set a fire inside the house.
The release said there was no one else involved in the incident and that an investigation is ongoing.
This story was originally published November 20, 2023 at 3:28 PM.
