What detectives found at scene of Pierce County fatal stabbings, police shooting
Knives and tufts of animal hair were among the evidence seized last week from the scene of a stabbing attack in Pierce County that left four people dead before a sheriff’s deputy fatally shot the 32-year-old suspect, according to search warrants.
The incident unfolded Feb. 24 on a residential street home to a handful of duplexes that ends in a cul-de-sac off state Route 302, west of Purdy on the Key Peninsula.
Search warrant applications filed by law enforcement with the Pierce County Clerk of the Superior Court describe how the scene appeared when detectives began piecing together what happened, what vehicles and homes investigators searched and what items were seized as evidence.
Detectives believed there was probable cause that the man suspected of stabbing his mother and three other people, Aleksandr Shablykin, committed four counts of first-degree murder, according to the three documents filed Feb. 27 and March 2. They also state that Shablykin might have stayed the night at his mother’s residence and that he had stopped taking prescribed medication. The search warrant says that could have affected his actions that morning.
The four victims were identified Friday by the Medical Examiner’s Office as Zoya A. Shablykina, 52; Joanne K. Brandani, 59; Stephanie Killilea, 67 and Louise S. Talley, 81.
In a walkthrough of the crime scene, investigators noted that Shablykin was found dead within feet of the driver’s side door of one of two Sheriff’s Office patrol cars parked in the neighborhood. He appeared to have a gunshot wound in the center of his chest.
Across the street to the east was a black-handled, serrated knife covered in blood. The search warrant affidavit states that a witness described Shablykin’s weapons as a possible “ice pick.” The Lakewood police detective who authored the document said such a weapon was so far outstanding and not consistent with the serrated knife. He wrote that it was possible more than one weapon was used.
About 30 feet south of the patrol cars was a silver 2020 Toyota 4-Runner with three of its four doors open. According to the search warrant, an “elderly white female” was found with several stab wounds to the chest behind the vehicle. Another person not identified in the document was directly across the street and covered by a white medical sheet.
Inside the 4-Runner, investigators could see a green cellphone in a “flip-style” case and two small personal bags in the rear passenger compartment behind the driver’s seat. The search warrant states purses and blood swabs were seized during a Feb. 26 search.
Farther south, investigators documented a possible bullet defect in the siding of a residence. According to the search warrant, the home might have been struck when a deputy shot Shablykin. It also states that five fired shell casings were found near the patrol cars.
Shablykin’s silver 2002 Toyota Corolla was parked in front of the driveway of his mother’s house, according to the search warrant. The front passenger window was either rolled down or missing, and there were backpacks in the front and rear seats. The bags don’t appear to have been seized. A search warrant filed March 2 states that a phone, $900 in cash and a passport were taken as evidence during a Feb. 26 search.
There were droplets of blood on the walkway leading to the front door of the home, and a person not identified in the document was found dead in the backyard. The search warrant indicates it was a woman with stab wounds to her chest and a cellphone lying within inches of her body.
Law enforcement cleared the interior of the residence to ensure there were no additional suspects or victims.
“In doing so, they noted a significant amount of blood on the ground, in addition a large amount of blood spatter on the doors and walls, indicative of a violent attack taking place inside the residence,” the search warrant states.
It’s unclear what all was seized from the home. According to the search warrant, investigators were looking for biological evidence, cutting or stabbing instruments such as knives, screwdrivers or ice picks and any written manifesto or documents describing preplanning, among other items.
The search warrant does describe what was seized from the general crime scene on Feb. 24. That included shell casings, knives identified by three evidence markers, clothing, a bandage, tufts of animal hair identified by two evidence markers, a bandages box, a hand towel, a toilet paper roll and several swabs of blood taken from outside and inside the residence.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
