Court documents: Kassie Dewey's ex-boyfriend, recently kicked out of her north Spokane home, suspected of her killing
Apr. 16—The man suspected of killing a woman and stabbing her 5-year-old daughter multiple times in a north Spokane home has been identified in court documents as the woman's ex-boyfriend whom she recently had kicked out of her home.
Joshua Phillips, 41, was found in the garage of the home and remains hospitalized under police watch.
The attacks have stunned Spokane. On Wednesday night a vigil for Kassie Dewey, 35, and her daughter Lilly drew hundreds of supporters.
Lilly is being treated in the intensive care unit for the stab wounds including one to her throat. She has undergone multiple surgeries since the attacks Sunday , according to her father, Josh Schmidt.
"Between the extensive stab wounds, and her little body trying to fight off infection as well, it is just a lot," Schmidt wrote in an update on the family's GoFundMe.
On Sunday, Dewey's two older children were expecting to be picked up by their mother from their father's Spokane Valley home. When she didn't show up, their father dropped them off at Dewey's house.
The kids attempted to walk inside the house but the doors were locked, according to court documents. So the kids used a ladder and climbed into the window in order to get into the house.
Once inside, they saw that the house was in disarray and thought it was odd, the children told police in court documents.
The children walked out to the garage, where they heard a vehicle running inside and the door was locked. They tried to break in but when they were unsuccessful, they called 911, according to court documents.
Police arrived to find Dewey already dead inside the garage, with two cars running inside and Lilly seriously injured, according to court documents.
Phillips did not appear to have any serious injuries and was able to respond to paramedics' questions. Fire personnel believed he may have been intoxicated because he was acting confused, according to court documents. They also thought the fumes from the running cars in the garage could have caused Phillips' confusion.
Both Phillips and the young girl were taken to the hospital, where they remained as of Thursday morning.
When asked by police about Phillips, Dewey's two older children said he had been living with their mother since June of 2020. The couple fought constantly until two days before her death, when Dewey kicked Phillips out of the house, according to court records.
On Saturday, Phillips had texted Dewey about 100 times, with some of the messages being "very disturbing," according to court records.
Two other women have filed for protection orders against Phillips, according to court records. Both cases were resolved, and he did not have any active protection orders against him at the time of Dewey's death. Phillips has no criminal convictions in the state of Washington.
Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in Dewey's honor Wednesday evening.
Ruby O'Neill, Dewey's cousin, read a statement on behalf of the family, thanking hospital staff and organizers of the candlelight vigil.
"She really wants you all to know that nothing hurts anymore and she feels free," O'Neill said to the crowd.
A GoFundMe for Dewey's children has raised more than $95,000 of its $100,000 goal.
Phillips has not been charged with a crime, but remains at a local hospital in police custody while being treated for his injuries, according to police.
