Man pleads not guilty to murdering his wife
Apr. 6—A Pullman man who is accused of murdering his estranged wife pleaded not guilty.
Jacob Spray, 36, made an appearance in Whitman County Superior Court on Friday morning. A full courtroom came to witness his arraignment.
Whitman County Court Commissioner Doug Robinson said Spray faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the second-degree murder charge.
Spray was taken into custody March 27 with an additional third-degree assault charge for allegedly obstructing an officer. He was booked into the Whitman County Jail on an extraordinary bail of $2 million bond or $200,000 cash surety.
The case began when a dispatching agency in Spokane received a call from a woman who may have witnessed an assault over the phone. She was conducting a job interview with 25-year-old Jamie Wilson-Spray, of Pullman, when she heard a scream and the line went dead, according to court records.
The agency alerted Whitcom 911, the local dispatching agency, and sent Pullman police to Sevdy's Modern View Mobile Court on Fisk Street around 5:30 that evening.
Upon arrival, law enforcement observed Wilson-Spray's vehicle parked outside a residence that was exuding intense heat, according to court records. Officers saw condensation on the windows and smoke exiting the home.
Police noticed a propane stove burner turned all the way up, then disabled the gas line before entering the residence. A dog led them to the bedroom, where they found Wilson-Spray lying on the bed, according to court records.
Law enforcement checked for a pulse and didn't find one. They observed bruises and scratches on the woman's neck and arms, according to court records.
Moments later, emergency medical services took her out of the trailer and performed lifesaving measures, but pronounced her dead at the scene, according to court records.
Later that evening, Whitcom dispatchers told police someone had called saying the person's son had committed a murder. Spray reportedly told his father he shot and killed his wife, according to court records.
He agreed to meet with officers a few hours after the incident occurred. Spray told police he had been working in Moscow that evening and denied seeing Wilson-Spray that day, according to court records.
While law enforcement were still interviewing him, he allegedly fled on foot. Spray reportedly assaulted an officer and attempted to grab his gun, according to court records. Officers used a stun gun on Spray, who was then taken to a local hospital.
Police interviewed a Domino's Pizza driver who said he had delivered food to the home earlier that night. He told officers he noticed a petite woman and a very large man with a beard at the residence, according to court records.
Hospital staff recorded Spray's height at approximately 6 feet, 6 inches. According to court records, officers noted he had a beard and matched the description provided by the Domino's driver.
It was also mentioned in the court records Spray had multiple firearms at his residence, and that he and Wilson-Spray had been pursuing a divorce.
A trial date was set after entering Spray's not guilty plea. He will appear before a jury the morning of June 3.
Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com
