Pullman man arrested in wife's slaying UPDATED

UPDATE:

PULLMAN - The Whitman County Coroner's Office confirmed the identity of the woman found deceased on 600 N.W. Block of Fisk Street on Tuesday, March 26 in Pullman in a press release on Friday, March 29.

Whitman County Coroner Annie Pillars confirmed Jamie Anne Wilson-Spray, 25, of Pullman was the deceased.

According to the report, the investigation is ongoing, with no other information available at this time.

Wilson-Spray was found in a trailer March 26, at Sevdy’s, a trailer park at 605 N.W. Fish St. According to police records, Wilson-Spray had scratches and bruising on her neck.

Wilson-Spray's husband, Jacob Erik Spray, 36, of Pullman faces charges of murder second-degree and third-degree assault, reviewed by court officials on March 29. He is set for an arraignment with Superior Court Judge Gary Libey at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 5.

ORIGINAL STORY:

PULLMAN - A local man will appear in Whitman County Superior Court at 3 p.m. Friday, March 29, to face charges of second-degree murder and third-degree assault.

Jacob Erik Spray, 36, of Pullman, will appear before Superior Court Judge Gary Libey. He is accused of killing his estranged wife, Jamie Wilson-Spray, who grew up in Tekoa.

Spray is being held on a $200,000 bail following his arrest at approximately 9:13 p.m. Tuesday, March 26. He was booked into the jail at 7:24 a.m. the next morning.

"I would emphasize that this is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family," Police Chief Aaron Breshears said Thursday. "The least that we can do is investigate and bring her killer to justice."

The charges stem from a welfare check at 5:36 p.m. Tuesday at 2125 N.W. Turner Drive Apt. B, records show.

The welfare check came after Spokane County emergency dispatchers received a call from an employer who had been interviewing Wilson-Spray when the caller heard a scream, followed by a scuffle, records show. Spokane County dispatchers notified Whitcom dispatchers and Pullman officer Doug Anderson responded to the apartment.

Not finding any vehicles, Anderson attempted to call Spray at 5:49 p.m., but his calls went to voicemail. The officer then contacted the employer who reported the scuffle.

"I asked her she heard her say anything or heard any other voices," Anderson wrote in his probable cause statement, to which the witness responded that she didn't. After learning Wilson-Spray had moved, the officer later called the employer again to see if Wilson-Spray had filled provided an address on her application.

The employer said Wilson-Spray only listed Pullman, records show.

At 6:42 p.m., Anderson received a call from Spray, asking what was going on, records show. Anderson told him he was trying to contact Wilson-Spray and asked for an address.

Spray said she was staying in his trailer at Sevdy's, a trailer park at 605 N.W. Fisk St., record show.

Another officer, Ryan McNannay arrived and confirmed the presence of Wilson-Spray's vehicle prior to Anderson's arrival, records show.

"We checked the door, and it was locked," Anderson said in his report, noting he called Wilson-Spray for keys to the trailer. Spray said his mother had keys in Lewiston.

"I then told him we might have to force entry into the trailer, because we could hear her phone inside," Anderson wrote.

After smelling smoke and shutting off external propane tanks, Anderson pried open a window by the door, reached keys on a nearby table and opened the door, records show.

"When the door was opened, I could see a body (identified as Wilson-Spray) on the bed," Anderson wrote in his report, noting the victim had scratches and bruising on her neck.

She didn't have a pulse and police speculated she had been strangled, records show.

Arriving paramedics were unable to revive her.

Meanwhile, Whitcom had received a tip from Spray's father that his son had confessed to shooting Wilson-Spray, records show.

Police interviewed neighbors and a delivery driver who bought pizza to the trailer that evening.

Officer Brock Germer talked to the pizza deliveryman, who said a red SUV was parked at the trailer, records show. He delivered the pizza to a white man, in his 30s or 40s, with lighter brown hair, glasses and a beard.

Police returned to Spray's apartment, police records show. Once inside, police began to interview Spray, who then tried to flee.

Officers pursued spray down interior stairs, with Spray and an officer falling, records show. Spray allegedly attempted to reach for an officer's gun, before being Tased.

Police also checked the apartment and located several firearms, records show.

Records show Spray denied being at the trailer.

Spray attempted to make his estrange wife's death sound like an accident, telling police she had likely overdosed and that the trailer had a gas problem.

Paramedics arrived on scene and provided care for Spray, who was then taken to the hospital.

Spray was discharged from the hospital at about 11:35 p.m., at which time he was placed under arrest, records show.