University Place man who choked, punched, burned his girlfriend with torch lighter is sentenced
Oct 8, 2024, 12:23 PM
A gavel. (Photo: Joe Gratz via Flickr Creative Commons)
(Photo: Joe Gratz via Flickr Creative Commons)
James Ray Wilson, a 62-year-old man from University Place, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to brutally abusing his girlfriend.
According to court documents obtained by the The Tacoma News Tribune, Wilson was convicted of second-degree domestic violence assault and two counts of felony harassment with threats to kill. In his guilty plea, Wilson admitted to assaulting the woman with a torch lighter.
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Between July 28 and August 1, 2023, Wilson is said to have assaulted his girlfriend on his sailboat, choking her into unconsciousness, punching her and slamming her into a wall. The victim, who had severe bruising on her face and throat, was taken to Tacoma General Hospital. Forensic investigators noted she had 12 burns the size of a quarter on her side, left leg and left arm.
Court documents reveal that Wilson made multiple threats to kill the victim. He held a red folding knife to her leg and throat, threatening to cut her into pieces and dispose of her remains on an island. He also threatened to tie her to the boat’s anchor and throw her overboard.
A Pierce County Superior Court handed down the sentence, considered at the high end of the standard range for similar cases.
In his guilty plea, Wilson admitted to assaulting the woman with a torch lighter. The original charges included first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape, three counts of second-degree assault and two counts of felony harassment.
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The state was unable to proceed with all the original charges because the victim, a 44-year-old woman, had died. The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not immediately comment on the circumstances of her death.
Wilson had four prior felony convictions in Idaho, including aggravated battery in 2001 and burglary in 2010. He lived on his sailboat, which he docked in University Place on Day Island.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
