A woman awaiting trial in the deaths of three people killed in a New Year’s Eve car crash has apparently left town, and a judge has issued a bench warrant for her return.
Mary Kristine Knistern, 26, was prohibited from leaving Clallam County, but an anonymous call to the Sheriff’s Department indicated she may be in San Diego, according to an affidavit filed in Clallam County Superior Court.
Judge Pro-Tempore William Knebes issued the bench warrant for Knistern last week, setting her bail at $250,000, after Prosecuting Attorney Deb Kelly notified the court of the tip the Sheriff’s Department received.
The warrant authorizes Knistern’s extradition from anywhere in the United States.
Knistern’s attorney, Terry Mulligan of Clallam-Jefferson Public Defenders, told the judge he has been unable to get Knistern to court, according to court records.
Knistern was charged April 24 with three counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault stemming from the fatal crash in which she was the driver.
Her trial is scheduled for Oct. 20.
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The rest of the story appears in Wednesday’s Peninsula Daily News.
