Covington man faces murder charge for death of his wife

Published 6:02 pm Thursday, May 7, 2026

King County prosecutors charged Kyle Wayland Cathcart with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing his wife at least 48 times with their three children, ages 7, 5, and 3, present at their Covington home.

Cathcart initially called 911 and reported the May 1 incident at 25835 186th Pl. SE as a home invasion and an attack against himself and his wife, Jodi Ann Cathcart, before King County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered evidence that led them to arrest Cathcart May 4 for investigation of murder.

Prosecutors requested bail to be set at $60 million because Cathcart told detectives that he had told his wife and his wife’s family members that a civil lawsuit settlement of $6 million was scheduled to transfer into his bank account on May 1, according to charging documents filed Thursday, May 7.

“If this is true, the defendant has substantial resources with which to provide bail and to flee,” Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas O’Ban II wrote in charging papers.

O’Ban wrote Cathcart now claims he was lying the whole time about the incoming lawsuit money, and killed his wife to avoid being confronted about those lies.

O’Ban wrote investigators are still trying to determine and planning to serve a search warrant on Cathcart’s banking records to determine whether he received a lawsuit payment.

The state also requested a high bail because of further violence in the community if Cathcart is released.

“Rather than simply ask for a divorce – if he was so deeply unhappy with his life – the defendant chose to stab/slice his wife at least 48 times, with his minor children just a few yards away and in easy listening range of the victim’s screams, and attempt to make the crime look like a robbery gone wrong,” O’Ban wrote.

The King County Proseucting Attorney’s Office has not yet responded to a request about what amount the judge set bail.

The incident

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.

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.

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 charging 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. May 1.

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. Nobody else was seen on video entering the house.

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 told detectives he lied about the money coming in from a lawsuit to his wife and that the stress of losing his job and the lies about the million-dollar lawsuits were too overwhelming, so he planned to kill his wife, take his own life and leave their children with her grandparents. Close friends of the family cared for the children after the killing.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office reported to detectives that Jodi Cathcart had approximately 18 lacerations to both hands, 11 to both arms, five superficial injuries to her chest and 14 cuts to her head and neck, according to charging papers. Her jugular vein was cut on both sides. She also received a puncture to her upper left chest cavity. She had bruises on her hands.

In addition, the medical examiner recovered the tip of the knife from her upper skull, which the examiner noted would have taken a significant amount of force to embed into the skull.

Cathcart is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 12 in the GA Courtroom of the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.