Kyle Wayland Cathcart pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, facing accusations of staging his wife’s stabbing to look like a home invasion.
COVINGTON, Wash. — A Covington man who is accused of stabbing his wife dozens of times, killing her earlier this month pleaded not guilty Monday.
Kyle Wayland Cathcart entered the plea to a charge of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement at an arraignment hearing. Bail remains set at $60 million.
On May 1, King County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported home invasion and deadly stabbing in the 25000 block of 186th Place Southeast in Covington.
According to charging documents, Cathcart previously claimed a $6 million lawsuit settlement was set to arrive the same day as the stabbing. Prosecutors say Cathcart later claimed he lied to his family about the lawsuit payout and reportedly killed his wife to avoid being confronted about the lie.
While being interviewed Cathcart said he and his wife had two pending civil lawsuits that would pay out a sum of about $61 million.
Cathcart is accused of stabbing his wife at least 48 times during the incident, during which the couple’s children were inside the home, then attempted to stage the killing as a home invasion.
Jodi Ann Cathcart, 36, died from multiple stab wounds, and medical examiners ruled her death a homicide.
Cathcart allegedly told investigators an intruder dressed in dark clothing attacked the couple inside their Covington home. Detectives later said surveillance footage showed someone leaving the house, but nobody entering.
Previous court documents said investigators found bloody clothing in a neighbor’s yard, and evidence suggesting someone familiar with the home’s garage code could move through the property without appearing on Ring cameras.
Detectives said Cathcart later confessed to killing his wife with a kitchen knife and attempting to make the killing look like a robbery.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
