Ex-soldier admits killing Kirkland woman in 2011
Apr 1, 2014, 3:45 PM | Updated: 6:05 pm
A soldier who was absent without leave at the time now admits he killed a Kirkland woman with a knife more than two years ago.
In the early hours of November 30th, 2011, a man called police to report he’d found his 19-year old girlfriend, Scarlett Paxton, dead in the stairwell of their Juanita apartment building.
A police dog sniffed out bloody clothing and other evidence that eventually led to Dakota Wolf, who was AWOL from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and living nearby. He was charged with first degree murder. Wolf, 22, has since been been dishonorably discharged.
Wolf pleaded guilty Tuesday in King County Superior Court to a reduced charge of second degree murder with a Deadly Weapon Enhancement. The prosecutor and defense will both recommend a prison term of 20 years, the top end of the standard range, when he’s sentenced on April 25th.
Kirkland Police say they’ve not been able to establish that Wolf and Paxton knew each other.
