Covington man allegedly fatally stabbed his wife inside their home

Published 4:26 pm Wednesday, May 6, 2026

A 41-year-old Covington man called 911 to report a home invasion May 1 and that both he and his wife had been stabbed inside their house. Four days later, he allegedly told King County Sheriff’s Office detectives that he fatally stabbed his wife and stabbed himself to try to make it look like a burglary.

A judge on Wednesday, May 6 found probable cause for the Sheriff’s Office arrest of Kyle Wayland Cathcart for first-degree murder, according to court documents. Cathcart reportedly stabbed Jodi Ann Cathcart on May 1 inside their Covington home at 25835 186th Pl. SE, where she was found dead in a bedroom when deputies arrived.

It took detectives a couple of days before they determined Cathcart allegedly killed his wife after he told them during an initial interview about how someone had entered their home, stabbed his wife and injured him, according to court documents. Cathcart was treated and released from MultiCare Covington Medical Center, before he was first interviewed by detectives and released.

Cathcart, arrested May 4 by Renton Police in an industrial area of town after the Sheriff’s Office released they were looking for Cathcart, remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle. A judge did not set bail because Cathcart did not appear in court, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Bail arguments are set to be heard Thursday, May 7 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Prosecutors are expected to get a felony case referral from the Sheriff’s Office in the upcoming days for a charging decision, according to a spokesperson with the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Friends and coworkers of Jodi Cathcart identified her as the victim earlier in the week in a social media post. They described Cathcart as the mother of three children and an assistant codirector of Foster Champs of Washington, which works with foster families. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office has yet to formally identify Cathcart and her cause and manner of death.

Kyle Cathcart reportedly told detectives that he had lost consciousness at some point during the incident and was unable to provide a timeline for when the suspects left the residence, according to probable cause documents He said he believed the suspects had forced entry into the home and that he attempted to fight them off.

Kyle Cathcart had injuries to his left hand, swelling above his right eye, a bruised left eye, and superficial wounds to his abdomen, according to court documents. During his interview with detectives, he said he was in the bathroom when someone broke into the house and when he came out he found a man stabbing his wife. He said the knife appeared to be a chef’s knife from his own kitchen.

Cathcart claimed he got in a fight with the man and eventually was knocked unconscious, according to court documents. He didn’t know how long he was unconscious, but 911 records showed he called at about 7:25 a.m.

Detectives used Ring camera video footage that reportedly showed Cathcart leaving the home after the killing, but did not show him returning to the house. Detectives reportedly found black clothing, with blood on it, on a pile of garbage near the home that Cathcart wore during the killing. They also found blood near the garage door keypad, which is how they believe Cathcart reentered the home after the killing.

“Given that detectives did not locate any Ring video footage of any person entering either the front or back door of the Cathcart residence prior to the homicide of Jodi, that the person seen exiting the front door appears similar to Kyle Cathcart’s height and build, that bloody clothing belonging to Jodi Cathcart – and which appeared to resemble the clothing worn by the person exiting the front door in the Ring video – was found nearby the home, and that Kyle had both time and ability to re-enter the home through the garage prior to calling 911, investigators believe there is probable cause that Kyle is the person who killed Jodi,” according to court documents.

After the arrest of Cathcart, detectives interviewed him again when he allegedly admitted that he planned to kill his wife. He said on the morning of the homicide, he put on Jodi’s clothes, retrieved a kitchen knife and stabbed her numerous times. He said she fought back but succumbed to her injuries, according to court documents.

Cathcart told detectives he attempted to kill himself with the knife, but it was too dull. He said he then removed items from his wife’s wallet and fled out the front door to stage a burglary, according to court documents. Detectives found a bloody wallet belonging to Jodi Cathcart outside near the front entry to the home.

Cathcart reportedly admitted to removing his clothing and throwing the items into a neighbor’s yard and that he reentered his home through the garage, knowing he would not be seen on camera. He said he then smeared the interior of the garage door with blood and placed the knife in the hallway.

Cathcart did not say during his interview with detectives why he wanted to kill his wife.

Detectives asked Cathcart whether he took any medication and he said his wife told him that he once attempted to smother her with pillow overnight after he took an over-the-counter sleep aid. He said he had no memory of the incident. Prior to that interview, however, a relative and a close friend of Jodi Cathcart told a detective this week about the incident that reportedly occurred around November 2024.