A Pierce County judge has ordered 63-year-old James Carnagey held without bail after prosecutors say he killed two people inside a Herron Island home in December. The victims, 64-year-old Wendy Walker-Carnagey and 39-year-old Chad Malloy, were found during a welfare check on December 11. Investigators later arrested Carnagey at a Kent motel after a SWAT team went in; he was treated at a hospital for injuries before being booked into custody.
Arraignment and Detention Motion
In a Tacoma courtroom on Monday, Carnagey pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated first-degree murder, according to KING 5. Prosecutors have filed a motion asking that he be detained without bail, and the judge ordered him held while a separate hearing to revisit bail is set for next week, the station reports. The criminal case and charging documents were previously detailed in reporting by The News Tribune after charges were formally filed.
Investigation and Arrest
Pierce County deputies say they discovered Walker-Carnagey and Malloy inside a Herron Island residence on December 11 after responding to a welfare check, and that both showed signs of stab wounds, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives tracked a suspect to a Kent motel, where a SWAT team made entry and found Carnagey with self-inflicted wounds, the sheriff’s office says. He was taken to a hospital and later booked into jail. Local television coverage from KIRO 7 reported the same timeline and that deputies believed the victims had been dead for about a week when they were found.
Records Show Prior Domestic-Violence History
Documents included in the search warrant and charging packet outline a yearslong pattern of domestic-violence calls to the Herron Island address, including multiple no-contact orders and a December 3 911 call from Walker-Carnagey reporting an incident, according to The News Tribune. The county Medical Examiner ruled both deaths homicides. The Tribune reports that Walker-Carnagey died from a stab wound to the neck, while Malloy suffered multiple sharp-force injuries to the head and neck.
Legal Status and Next Steps
Carnagey faces three counts of aggravated first-degree murder and has entered a not-guilty plea. Prosecutors say they will continue to seek his detention without bail, according to KING 5. Judges are expected to take up the prosecution’s detention request at upcoming hearings, and the Pierce County Superior Court pretrial calendar will set dates for additional motions and discovery.
Small Island Shaken
Herron Island, a private community of roughly 150 residents, has been left reeling by the killings and the intense law-enforcement response that followed, as earlier local coverage noted. Hoodline previously reported on the initial arrest and hospitalization in December, and authorities continue to ask anyone with information to contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at (253) 287-4455.
