Elderly man arrested after alleged murder of his wife in Washington state nursing home

An 87-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his 86-year-old wife to death in a senior living facility in a city’s first homicide of 2024.

On Monday at approximately 1:48 pm, police in Bellevue, Washington responded to multiple calls from residents about a disturbance at the Sunrise Senior Living on the 15200 block of NE 20th Street in Bellevue’s Crossroads neighborhood.

According to Bellevue Police, callers said they heard screams coming from a residence. Responding officers arrived on the scene and forced entry into the residence where they promptly detained the 87-year-old male suspect and discovered an 86-year-old female victim with multiple stab wounds to the chest.

Bellevue Police and Fire attempted lifesaving care, but the 86-year-old female was declared dead, and the 87-year-old male was taken into custody. The Bellevue Police Department ruled the case a homicide and is investigating.

Sunrise Senior Living told KOMO News, "We are deeply saddened by this situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones impacted, and we are committed to supporting our residents and team members, as needed, during this time.”

The facility added, “We are fully cooperating with law enforcement during their work on this domestic situation. We are unable to provide further details and encourage any additional inquiries about the investigation to be directed to the Bellevue Police Department."