Woman arrested in fatal stabbing, says man tried to rape her

Woman arrested in fatal stabbing, says man tried to rape her

By Associated Press

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A woman who said she fatally stabbed a man who tried to rape her in her apartment has been arrested for investigation of second-degree murder.

Jeannette M. May, 48, of Spokane, remained in jail Monday with bail set at $200,000 following the death of Harold W. Smith, 62, of Spokane Valley.

An autopsy showed Smith died Thursday of two stab wounds in the chest and two in the back.

In an affidavit filed in Spokane County District Court, police wrote that they were called to May's apartment by her friend, Jeannette Valenzuela, who said she came to the apartment after getting a call in which may told her frantically, "There is a guy dying on my floor."

According to the affidavit, May and Smith had been drinking at the Happy Time Tavern, where "employees were familiar with May" and told investigators she was rubbing Smith's leg and acting friendly before paying their tab.

May has bipolar disorder and isn't supposed to drink, according to Valenzuela.

Valenzuela told police May said Smith drove her home, where they drank more beer and she defended herself with a knife when Smith tried to rape her.

Valenzuela said that when she arrived, May was wearing no pants and had red marks on her legs, police wrote. Smith's fully clothed body was found beside an empty knife sheath in the bedroom, his head wrapped in a small quilt and a plastic sack with a large folding knife beneath the quilt.

Also found was a notebook with entries that "spoke of rape," police wrote.

About an hour later, police got a call from May telling them she had driven herself to a gasoline station in "the car of the guy I killed," and she seemed intoxicated when she was arrested there, according to the affidavit.

A detective wrote that when May was taken to Deaconess Medical Center for a rape examination, he saw no red marks on her legs or other signs that she had been in a struggle.
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