Kevin Harper (KOMO/YouTube).
A Washington state man who was previously the prime suspect in a triple homicide but was able to avoid the most serious charges is now headed to prison for nearly killing a woman for complaining about his substandard plumbing work.
Kevin Harper, 43, was sentenced to 32 years behind bars after he was convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary, and robbery, Kirkland police said. The vicious attack unfolded on March 17, 2019, in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland when officers were called to a possible hit-and-run crash involving a woman found lying in the road.
But when cops arrived at the scene, they saw the woman was not a victim of a hit-and-run but had been stabbed. She was suffering from multiple stab wounds to her upper body and head.
Detectives later learned that Harper performed plumbing work at the woman”s home but she complained to his boss about his shoddy work. Apparently enraged, Harper armed himself with a knife and returned to the home to confront her. He proceeded to rob her, assault her with a knife, and pour cleaning solution all over her body. Harper fled, thinking she was dead.
However, the victim regained consciousness and crawled out of her home before collapsing on the street where a motorist spotted her and called 911. Investigators quickly identified Harper as the suspect and arrested him a day later.
The victim’s lawyer read a victim impact statement at her attacker’s sentencing. She still suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression, not to mention all the surgeries she has undergone to repair her injuries.
“I am haunted every day by the memory of the night, by the monster who tried to end my life, by the smell of the cleaning solution and by the terror of being unable to call for help,” she wrote, according to a courtroom report by local ABC affiliate KOMO.
Back in 2011, Harper was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of three people including a 98-year-old woman, but those charges were downgraded to weapons and stolen property after prosecutors and investigators dropped the ball, the Yakima Herald-Republic reported.
After his release from prison, he moved to the Seattle area, where he attacked the woman. During his sentencing, he apologized to the victim and blamed his actions on being high on meth.
“This case underscores the incredible resilience and determination of the victim, whose courage played a critical role in bringing her attacker to justice,” Kirkland Police Chief Mike St. Jean said in a statement.
