Man fatally stabbed in North Bend home invasion had been on downward spiral

King County detectives say we may never know why a man broke in to a North Bend home twice last week before he was killed by the homeowners, but we are learning more about his history.

Kenneth Boonstra’s family said he had been on a downward spiral since a bitter 2007 divorce. He was living on the outskirts of society and showing signs of a mental breakdown.

The Seattle Times reports the 48-year-old father of five was living in a small trailer on seven acres in North Bend, where he had no phone and little contact with the community.

He had virtually no criminal history until last year when he was arrested for shoplifting beer and chewing tobacco twice from a gas station in Snoqualmie.

Boonstra was stabbed to death during an intense fight with a homeowner during his second break in to a home May 13.