The lawyer for a B.C. man accused of murdering his young stepdaughter while vacationing in Washington State says U.S. prosecutors could seek the death penalty.
Peter James Wilson of Abbotsford appeared in a Mason County court Monday charged with the first-degree murder of five-year-old Clare Shelswell.
The 29-year-old Wilson was remanded into custody with bail set at $3 million. Wilson's lawyer, Ronald Sergi, says it's unlikely his client will make bail before his next court appearance on July 12.
According to papers filed in court, Wilson admitted to police that he cut Clare's throat after an argument with the girl's mother Sarah Wilson near Lake Cushman, west of Seattle.
In a 911 call, Sarah Wilson screamed for an ambulance, telling the operator, "My daughter's throat has just been cut."
She said that she was unable to stop the bleeding, and when the operator asked how the little girl had been cut, answered "My husband took a knife to her throat."
Police officers responded to the frantic 911 call around 6 p.m. and found the little girl inside with her neck slashed.
According to court records, Sarah Wilson told police the couple was arguing about disciplining the child and Peter Wilson told her "not to worry" and "he would take care of it."
The girl's mother said she rushed to the kitchen after hearing a scream and found her young daughter and her husband both covered in blood. The little girl was lying on her back clutching at her neck.
Deputies found Wilson on a swing in a gazebo outside the home. He was arrested is now being held for first-degree murder. The girl died at the scene.
Officers were told by the family that Wilson is taking medication for bi-polar disorder.
With files from The Canadian Press
