PORT TOWNSEND — The trial date for a Port Ludlow teen accused of stabbing his father to death was delayed to Feb. 27, following a request from the defendant’s attorney.
Jason Carpenter, 18, is charged with the second-degree murder of his father, Robert Carpenter, and was initially scheduled to appear in Jefferson County Superior Court on Monday, Jan. 9, but the hearing was delayed at the request of his attorney, Lillian Powers.
Carpenter waived his right to a speedy trial at a Dec. 30 hearing, court documents show, and the trial was rescheduled to late February.
Court documents say police were called to the 100 block of Dunsmuir Lane in Port Ludlow the evening of Nov. 28 by Kristi Carpenter — Robert’s wife and Jason’s mother — who reported that her son had just stabbed her husband.
Robert Carpenter, 56, was pronounced dead at the scene and law enforcement officials arrested Jason Carpenter — who was 17 at the time of the incident — at a nearby golf course.
According to the declaration of probable cause filed with the court, Carpenter was arrested without incident, and was found with blood on his clothing and carrying a knife.
Kristi Carpenter told police her son was struggling with mental health issues and had previously attacked Robert apparently without reason.
Though a minor at the time of the incident, Carpenter will be tried as an adult due to the nature of the crime.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
