Prison administrators from the Washington state Department of Corrections (DOC) are working with the Walla Walla Police Department to investigate the apparent suicide of an inmate from Monroe who was serving time for first-degree murder, according to a DOC press release.
Oscar Garcia-Pacheco, 34, was found unresponsive in his cell at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla at approximately 6:40 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 5. He was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. after attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was housed in a cell by himself.
Garcia-Pacheco was sentenced in Snohomish County Superior Court on Monday, Sept. 15, 2014, to 22 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Jacoba Ramirez-Rodriguez. He was convicted in July after pleading guilty to first-degree domestic violence murder with a deadly weapon. The couple had lived in Monroe for 14 years, and operated a business together that was located in downtown Monroe on North Lewis Street.
The marriage was troubled, and in approximately April of 2013, the couple began the process of separating. Court documents revealed that Garcia-Pacheco allegedly had a long history of violence towards his wife, who sought a protection order from him in May of 2013.
Married since 2007, the two had been together for eight years prior to their wedding. -áRamirez-Rodriguez, 34, told Evergreen District Court Judge Steven Clough that their relationship had first become violent in 2000, but she stayed with him because she thought that he would change.
She told Judge Clough that Garcia-Pacheco's verbal and physical abuse had been escalating and that he had been increasingly prone to unjustifiable bouts of jealousy. She described numerous incidents of violence in her petition, and on May 22, 2013, Judge Clough granted her a temporary order of protection.
On the evening of May 24, 2013, as she was attempting to serve him with the protection order, Garcia-Pacheco stabbed his wife 19 times near the corner of West Main and North Lewis streets. The attack, which occurred sometime after 7 p.m., took place in full view of several witnesses, one of whom called 911. Another witness, a registered nurse, rendered aid to Ramirez-Rodriguez until first responders arrived on scene.
Law enforcement officers arrived and located Garcia-Pacheco, who threatened to kill himself with the knife he had used on Ramirez-Rodriguez. Non-lethal tactics were used to subdue him, and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
Ramirez-Rodriguez was airlifted to Harborview, where she died on June 2, 2013, as a result of her injuries.
According to surveillance video obtained by law enforcement officers, Garcia-Pacheco had purchased a four-pack of standard kitchen knives at 6:09 p.m. at the Monroe Fred Meyer store. Approximately one hour later, he arrived at their jointly-owned business in downtown Monroe, only to find out that she was not there. He waited outside for her, and when she returned the two had a short argument.
Ramirez-Rodriguez walked back to her vehicle to obtain the protection order, and was then attacked by Garcia-Pacheco.
During his stay in the hospital, Garcia-Pacheco communicated to Monroe Police Department Sgt. Cindy Chessie that he had planned his wife's murder and had intended to subsequently take his own life.
Garcia-Pacheco had no known criminal history.
The investigation into his apparent suicide is ongoing.
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