The man who is accused of stabbing a woman at Point Defiance Park two months ago told the victim, “Soon you won’t feel any pain. You need to meet your maker,” official charging documents say.
Nicholas Fitzgerald Matthew, 27, was charged with first degree attempted murder for brutally stabbing the woman on Feb. 10 in a random attack. He is currently being held at San Mateo County Jail in California and awaiting extradition. The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office told The News Tribune on Monday that the extradition is in its early stages and it will not be immediate.
The woman was stabbed by the man, who was unknown to her, several times in the back, head, cheek and neck while she was walking down a trail at the park. The woman said in a news conference on Feb. 21 that she was “one wrong move from being killed.”
Charging details
Tacoma police were dispatched along the Five-Mile Drive trail around 1 p.m. that day. When they arrived, the woman was actively bleeding and said she felt like she was drowning. Two witnesses were rendering medical aid to the woman, prosecutors wrote.
The woman told police she did not know who stabbed her. Her purse was on the ground next to her, indicating the attack was not an attempted robbery. There were four witnesses who spoke to police. One of them said he heard a loud scream, so he ran and found the suspect on top of the woman with a knife in his hand, prosecutors wrote.
A witness said he told the defendant, “Hey man don’t do this don’t do this.” The defendant allegedly replied, “She’s a pedophile, I can’t let her live.” Prosecutors noted there was no truth to this statement. A witness said it looked like the defendant was going to stab her again, so she kicked him in the face and he was knocked off. He then allegedly ran away towards the west, prosecutors wrote.
Two of the witnesses ran after the defendant, who ran towards Owens Beach, but they eventually lost sight of him.
The woman was taken to the hospital and had a skull fracture on the back of her head with numerous lacerations to her face. She told police that she spotted the defendant when she was walking on the trail. He was walking “uncomfortably close” to her. She stopped to let him pass, but he laughed and declined. Shortly after, she felt him strike her back and begin stabbing her, prosecutors wrote.
The defendant allegedly tilted her head back so she “wouldn’t be in pain anymore,” documents show.
A forensic sketch of the suspect was released Feb. 18 using descriptions from the victim and witnesses.
On Feb. 22, detectives collected several pieces of evidence for DNA analysis. Some items included the woman’s jeans that were worn at the time of the alleged assault as well as a buccal swab. A blood stain found on the woman’s jeans was entered into the Combined DNA Index System and eventually an association was made with Matthew, prosecutors wrote.
CODIS is a computer software program that operates local, state and national databases of DNA profiles. These profiles range from convicted offenders, including those who have served in the military, unsolved crime scene evidence and missing persons.
Detectives learned that Matthew has an apartment in Federal Way as well as a yellow 2014 Chevrolet Spark. Through security footage, the Chevrolet was allegedly seen on North 51st and Pearl Street, near Point Defiance Park, prior to the alleged attack. It was also seen driving away on Pearl Street following the incident, prosecutors wrote.
Employees of the apartment complex where Matthew resided told them that he was issued a 30-day eviction in the beginning of March. The posted paperwork on his door was still there March 16. They learned he had not been seen for about two weeks, prosecutors wrote.
A neighbor told detectives that he had not seen Matthew, but recalled seeing dried blood in his yellow car. When detectives entered his apartment, they found large amounts of hair clippings that belonged to Matthew. This led detectives to believe he changed or altered his appearance, prosecutors wrote.
Detectives discovered a sweatshirt that appeared to have dried blood on it. Two knives were collected resembling what was used during the attack. One of the knives appeared to have smeared dried blood on it, prosecutors wrote.
Cannabis joint containers were also discovered, which had similar packaging to one that was found by a witness. She later discarded it, believing it fell from the victim’s purse. They contacted the dispensary that sold the cannabis joints who said that Matthew was a regular. They also said he had not come into the store for about two weeks, which was unusual for him, prosecutors wrote.
Matthew’s arrest
A search warrant for Matthew’s arrest was issued on March 20. Investigators believed he fled to a different state, prosecutors wrote.
Matthew was arrested the same day at San Francisco International Airport as he was trying to flee the country. Initially investigators learned that Matthew flew to Atlanta and tried to apprehend the defendant. However, he had left Georgia, a previous News Tribune story reported.
Tacoma police, federal marshals and the San Francisco Police Department intercepted Matthew at the airport as he was on a layover between Atlanta and his foreign destination, the story reported.
Tacoma Police spokesman Detective William Muse said the suspect had been a Puget Sound resident for several years and had no criminal history in Washington. He is originally from the East Coast.
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