Covington man admits to planning to kill wife and framing it as a robbery, court docs show

Kyle Cathcart, a 41-year-old man from Covington who is accused of killing his wife, was charged with murder in the first degree with a deadly weapon enhancement Thursday, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO).

Cathcart admitted to law enforcement that he planned to kill his wife for about a month and made more specific plans the week before to frame the death as a robbery, according to court documents obtained by KIRO Newsradio and MyNorthwest.

On the morning of the homicide, Cathcart put on his wife’s clothes, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stabbed her several times, court documents stated. His wife fought back before she died.

Cathcart told police he tried to kill himself with the knife, but that it was too dull. He then, according to court documents, took items out of his wife’s wallet and left through the door to make it look like a robbery.

He also admitted to taking off his clothes and throwing them into the neighbor’s yard, and to re-entering his home through the garage to avoid his camera. He then cut himself on his hands and stomach and smeared the door leading to the garage with blood and put the knife in the hallway, court documents stated.

Cathcart told police he had been lying to his wife about money coming in from a lawsuit and said the stress from losing his job and the lies about his million-dollar lawsuits were too overwhelming. He said he planned to kill his wife, then himself, and leave their three children with his wife’s grandparents, according to court documents.

Covington man makes up story about wife’s death, according to court docs

Before he admitted to the murder, Cathcart called 911 and said both he and his wife had been stabbed. Cathcart said he got knocked out during the incident and didn’t know when the suspects left.

He said the suspects had forced their way into the home, and he tried to fight them off. When asked if anyone would want to hurt them, Cathcart told deputies he and his wife had two pending civil lawsuits that were soon to pay out at the sum of $61 million.

When asked about medication use, Cathcart said he didn’t take any after an incident with an over-the-counter sleep aid. Cathcart said more than a year ago, he took medicine one night, and the next morning, his wife told him he tried to smother her with a plastic-wrapped pillow. Cathcart said he had no memory of the incident.

Authorities interviewed his wife’s best friend and mother, who both described a similar incident, according to court documents.

Deputies saw cameras mounted outside the home, including a Ring doorbell. Cathcart consented to deputies using his phone to look at footage. Deputies confronted Cathcart about the suspect being the same height and weight as him. Cathcart denied hurting his wife.

Law enforcement confirmed the clothing the suspect was wearing belonged to Cathcart’s wife. Cathcart was brought in for questioning a few days later, where he eventually admitted to everything, according to court documents.

Cathcart’s children, 3, 6, and 7 years old, were taken into protective custody. The 7-year-old told neighbors his dad stepped on a “hand pin” and hurt himself, but later said he believed his dad stabbed himself because his sister saw a knife on the ground.

Cathcart’s arraignment is scheduled for May 12.

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