CRIME WATCH FOLLOWUP: Trial rescheduled for Admiral stabbing suspect Kierra Ward

As we continue to check on high-profile West Seattle criminal cases making their way through the court system – the trial for Admiral stabbing suspect Kierra Ward has been pushed to next month. Online court documents show that her lawyer requested the delay during a hearing on Friday, saying they still had a variety of work to do to prepare. So the trial is now tentatively re-set for a March 21st start, depending on what happens at the next readiness hearing (“omnibus”) on March 9th. It’s been four months since Ward was arrested and charged with assault in the knife attack on an Admiral woman who was walking with her baby. She remains in the King County Jail in lieu of $400,000 bail.

Flimflam February 11, 2018 (7:14 pm)

What more could the lawyer possibly need to do? It’s been 4 months already…

also, she did it – she’s not a suspect. She clearly stabbed the poor mom.

WSB February 11, 2018 (7:53 pm)

Yes, she is a suspect. Until and unless convicted, whether at trial or by pleading guilty, that’s our law. “Defendant” a slightly better word so I’ll use that next time.
- Jon Wright February 12, 2018 (9:56 am)
  
  I’ve always been fond of “alleged perpetrator.”

justme February 11, 2018 (8:35 pm)

I hope she can get the mental health support she needs.

Yuck February 13, 2018 (9:59 am)

I hope she gets the mental health treatment that she needs in as much as I hope everyone gets everything they need- but I am far more hopeful to keep people prone to violence seperated from their would be victims.

Defend Ant February 11, 2018 (8:57 pm)

Uhhggg now even the blog is defending the stance of the criminal given priority over the victim. So sick of this I’m gonna barf. The blog knows without doubt she is guilty as flimflam obviously states. Wake up and defend that which is not only right but which is true. Have you a soul?

Lauren February 11, 2018 (9:32 pm)

Have you no knowledge of Due Process and journalistic standards?

Defend Ant February 11, 2018 (10:11 pm)

Nope I only know right from wrong.

Jethro Marx February 12, 2018 (7:52 am)

The blog is often biased towards journalistic integrity; maybe you should cancel your subscription. Or, perhaps this is the last straw for you, and you’ll be moving somewhere that still has respect for the mob rule?

Maybe the next time a good commercial space opens we’ll get a pitchfork and torch store!
- Elle Nell February 12, 2018 (8:51 am)
  
  Well said Jethro!!!
  
  Ill leave it at that.

miws February 12, 2018 (7:49 am)

Well, Defend Ant, if you have no appreciation for Due Process, and for a news source that practices high journalistic standards and integrity, (kinda rare, nowadays, doncha think?), why don’t you start a “blog” where you can call whomever and whichever whatever you want and leave professional news reporting to WSB?

Hey, I even have an idea for a name! “A Blog With A Soul”!

Mike

Alex S February 12, 2018 (10:40 am)

I would just like to say THANK YOU to the West Seattle blog for following up on notorious local cases like this one. One reason we see the same people committing the same crimes against unwitting victims, and the same chronically mentally unstable people endangering themselves and others has to do with clueless media outlets which focus their attention on the spectacle of the crime committed – and do very little follow-up to examine consequences or solutions.

As such, it seems society does not have the tools or ability to help prevent future tragedies from happening – tragedies which tend to be carried out by the same people doing the same things months or years after the spectacle of their first, second or third violent act is carried out.

Thanks to ideologically-driven civil liberties organizations, activists and politicians, disturbed and potentially violent people like Kierra Ward, Ryan Cox, Asfawesan Dres, Leon Caril, Gary Steiner, Donnell Jackson, Michael Giordano, Isaiah Kalebu, Ian Lee Stawicki, etc, etc will continue to roam Seattle looking for cheap street drugs to amplify their psychosis (rather than receive treatment) And there is virtually nothing their friends or family – or society – can do about it.

Because of common sense-defying civil commitment laws, the criminally insane are able to threaten and prey upon innocent victims, and won’t stop until they finally seriously maim or kill somebody. Or, themselves.

Publicly available information is the ONE way (sorry, gun nuts) we can educate ourselves, assess the threat level of potentially dangerous people, and protect ourselves from them. And that knowledge may be the one thing that causes society to change involuntary commitment laws to favor future victims over the criminally insane.

Henley February 21, 2018 (2:58 pm)

You are right, cases get a lot of publicity at first and there’s no follow up. There’s very little access to information that is supposedly public, and it’s disappointing. I would like to see an update on Michael Giordano, I think the people deserve answers.

Unfortunately, it’s not always the “street drugs” causing the psychosis. I happen to know that the above was admitted to Fairfax for 72 hours the weekend before the crime occurred. They switched his medication (he is bipolar) and sent him back into the world. Obviously, they ( Fairfax) failed to properly monitor how he responded to the new medication. Shortly after, well, you know the rest. He’d been sober for quite some time when the crime was committed – I’m of full belief the event was caused by improper medication (which does not excuse the behavior of course, but does matter). There’s actually plenty of studies that show drugs impacting SSRIs and other psychoactive drugs, when prescribed incorrectly, are actually linked to violent crimes. There’s a problem in America when it comes to prescription medication. Too many incentives for doctors, not enough doctors who care and/or know what they’re doing (at least when it comes to mental health). Anywho, just throwing it out there. I think it’s important to understand any and all triggers for these kinds of things. .
- WSB February 21, 2018 (3:21 pm)
  
  That’s not a local case; I had to google the name. Anyway, a quick lookup in King County Superior Court docs (which I have to access multiple times most days so it was easy to find) shows that he’s still in jail, had a case-setting hearing last Thursday, nothing happened except the usual procedural ‘still working on the case’ type stuff (per the document) and his next one is scheduled for March 29th. Is there an online news site for Lake City? They should be following it closely if there is … TR

MJ February 12, 2018 (2:04 pm)

The crime was heinous and the perpetrator deserves zero mercy

Neighbor1 February 12, 2018 (2:44 pm)

Why is she only charged for assault? Shouldnt it be attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon?

WSB February 12, 2018 (2:56 pm)

There is no such charge as “assault with a deadly weapon.” Weapon is folded into first-degree assault, which is one of the two counts against her.

https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.36.011

As for murder vs. assault, don’t know what factored into the charging decision, except that proving murder requires proving that the defendant intended to kill the victim.

Sorry, comment time is over.