Army to Try Paxton Murder Suspect on its Charges Before Turning Him Over

The U.S. Army will most likley court-martial the suspect in the stabbing death of Kirkland’s Scarlett Paxton on charges of being absent without leave and assault before turning him over to King County to face first-degree murder charges, says a spokesman at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Dakota Miles Wolf, 19, a private in the Army and also from Kirkland, remains in custody at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for allegedly being AWOL and assaulting a superior. In December, Wolf was charged with first-degree murder in King County District Court in the brutal stabbing death of 19-year-old Paxton in the early morning of Nov. 30 outside her north Juanita apartment.

The Army accuses Wolf of repeatedly being AWOL, of striking a non-commissioned officer in the right eye with his open hand, and of possessing “spice,” an herbal/synthetic marijuana substitute suspected of causing psychosis. The military released its charging documents in the case this week.

Charging documents by King County indicate that Wolf told Kirkland Police during their investigation that he was addicted to spice and was suffering from anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations.

I Corps spokesman Maj. Christopher Ophardt said Thursday that military prosecutors have met with their King County counterparts and they agreed to press charges concurrently. But he said it is likely Wolf will be court-martialled before a trial date is set in King County court.

“His trial here could be in a couple weeks,” Ophardt said. “If he’s found guilty, he could be here for a year before his trial date comes up in King County. If he’s found not guilty, when he’s ready to be released he will be transferred to King County.”

If convicted by the Army, Wolf faces a bad conduct discharge and a year in military confinement.

Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff at the King County Prosecutor's Office, confirmed the coordination with military prosecutors. “The plan is to let the military wrap up their matter, since it appears their process will be quicker,” he said.

Goodhew noted, as did Ophardt, that Paxton’s family had met with both sets of prosecutors and were comfortable with the process as planned. Some of Paxton’s friends have expressed disappointment in the delay of Wolf’s transfer.

The King County charging documents indicate Wolf had been staying at a home in north Juanita not far from the murder scene, owned by the parents of a friend. They allege a bloody palmprint and fingerprint found in an alley near the apartment complex, the Hidden Firs along 100th Avenue Northeast, matched Wolf’s. The documents also state that a butcher knife found at the murder scene was the same brand as several knives found at the home where Wolf was staying.

The King County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that Paxton died of wounds to her neck, and the charging documents indicate she also suffered cuts to her leg, chin and left hand, the latter consistent with defensive wounds.

Paxton and her boyfriend had left their shared apartment in the early morning hours of Nov. 30 to go for a walk, and the documents indicate they parted at some point due to a minor disagreement. When the boyfriend, who has never been a suspect, returned to the apartment complex at about 2:50 a.m., he found Paxton slumped on the stairway to their unit, unresponsive and not breathing.