July 22, 2019 Update: The name of the suspect has been removed from this article because the charges against him were dropped.
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Police Department requested a search warrant to search cell phone logs and a computer related to what appeared to be a random attack and stabbing in Spokane in May.
Police have requested a warrant to seize call logs and text messages from a phone owned by a suspect, who was charged with second-degree murder in May.
Police are also seeking a warrant to search the laptop and cell phone records of the victim, 28-year-old Corey Ward, who died from a stab wound.
On May 17, a 911 call reported a stabbing near the 2400 block of E Cleveland Ave. The caller reported hearing his neighbor screaming that he had been stabbed, according to court documents.
When police arrived at the scene just before midnight, they found Ward laying on grass along the roadway. Police at the time were unaware of any potential suspect or where that suspect could be.
Documents said the 911 caller claimed to have seen Ward assaulting someone else and the suspect stabbed him in the chest.
Paramedics and police began attempting life-saving measures on the victim. Officers said they noticed that Ward had numerous lacerations on his jaw, chest, left arm and back that were consistent with stab wounds. Ward was unresponsive when police arrived and was bleeding badly, according to documents.
Court documents said the paramedics on the scene pronounced Ward deceased just after midnight.
Officers noticed a blood trail from the scene that led down the street. They determined that the incident likely occurred in the middle of the intersection of Nettleton St. and Fairview Ave.
Court documents indicate that a large pool of blood, a sheath for a knife and a cell phone were found in the intersection. The owner of the phone was initially unknown.
While a K9 officer was tracking a trail of blood leading away from the intersection, a woman made a 911 call saying that she was with the suspect and that he had been assaulted while walking to work. The caller said that the suspect showed up to work with a head injury and that she had taken him to Holy Family Hospital to receive medical attention.
Officers responded to Holy Family and confirmed the suspect was the second person in the incident.
According to court documents, the suspect had a facial injury and a stab wound to his left hand. Police said that the suspect was cooperative and confessed to stabbing a stranger in self-defense who had assaulted him.
The suspect told police that he was walking to work at McDonalds on the 2200 block of W Wellesley Ave. from his home near downtown Spokane. His shift started at midnight.
On his way to work, the suspect said he heard a man calling out obscenities from an open window. The suspect said not long after that, he heard someone running up from behind him saying, “I’m here, let’s go.”
According to court documents, the suspect said he didn’t know why the man, identified as Ward, was wanting to fight him. The suspect said he pulled out a knife from his front pocket and Ward began punching him in the face.
The suspect said Ward was much bigger than him and feared that he would be “badly beaten” if he didn’t use the knife. Documents said when Ward got on top of the suspect and began punching him, the suspect started stabbing Ward in the chest and stomach.
The suspect said he watched Ward stand up and walk back towards his apartment. The suspect said he did not know the extent of Ward’s injuries and continued walking to work when he realized he had lost his phone in the fight and was not able to call for help.
Documents said police searched Ward’s apartment and found a substantial amount of drug paraphernalia. Police said Ward’s window was still open and was facing the direction of where the suspect said he first heard obscenities being yelled.
Documents said that as of Tuesday, police are still unaware of the motive behind the attack.
The suspect gave police written consent to search his phone to confirm the suspect's story that he did not know Ward.
Police said the search warrant that will allow them to obtain the suspect's call log and all text messages and to search Ward’s laptop and cell phone records could confirm that there was no communication between the two men before the incident occurred.
