PORT LUDLOW — A 33-year-old man is being investigated in the death of a 20-year-old LaPush woman after an altercation early Thursday in which he also was injured.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call at 5:32 a.m. and was on the scene in four minutes because a deputy was already in the area, according to Undersheriff Joe Nile.
At that time, Evan Daniel Thompson was found in the backyard of his home at 1771 Swansonville Road with cuts on his wrists and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Deputies then discovered the body of Virginia Guadalupe Castaneda of LaPush in an upstairs bedroom.
She had not been shot, and an autopsy will be conducted to determine how she died.
Thompson was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and placed under arrest.
He was listed on the Jefferson County sheriff’s jail roster as being held for investigation of second-degree murder with no bail set, although he remained under treatment at Harborview.
A spokesperson at the Seattle hospital said Thursday afternoon that Thompson’s condition could not be released due to “privacy guidelines,” although Nole said he was “expected to live.”
Sheriff’s deputies set up a command center at the house, secured the crime scene and awaited the State Patrol’s Incident Response Team, which arrived just before 2 p.m.
As of late Thursday afternoon, Castaneda’s body had not been moved, and the investigation was continuing.
After detectives finish the investigation, the body probably will be moved to Kosec Funeral Home in Port Townsend, where an autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death, Nole said.
Castaneda was not shot, said Nole, who speculated that strangulation was likely the cause of death.
At the time of Thursday’s slaying, Thompson’s parents, with whom he was living, were on the premises.
They were not present during the investigation, Nole said.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue, Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue and Port Townsend police also responded to the early morning call.
Thompson is a 2000 graduate of Chimacum High School. Castaneda is a 2013 graduate of Forks High School.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
