Horrific Double Murder: Mother-Daughter Stabbed to Death
WEST RICHLAND -- A horrific double murder in West Richland killed a mom and her daughter just days before Christmas.
Benton County Sheriff's deputies found Ellen Schalchlin, 41, and her 13-year-old daughter Elizabeth Schalchlin stabbed to death at their home on Rupert Road Wednesday night.
The accused killers lived right under the same roof.
Sheriff's deputies arrested the victim's own son, 15-year-old Don Schalchlin, for helping cover up the crime while a friend, 16-year-old Joshua Tucker, is accused of the stabbing.
Action News doesn't normally name juvenile suspects but this was so heinous prosecutors said the boys will likely be end up in adult court.
The two teens made their first appearance in juvenile court Thursday, since their arrest for the crimes.
Neither boy has been formally charged but both face first degree murder charges.
The judge allowed Action Mews cameras in the courtroom as long as reporters didn't show the boys' faces.
The judge read statements from each teen individually, starting with Josh.
Any questions about what unfolded , were mostly answered when a judge read the Sheriff's report.
"This statement says that you told your friend Don Schalchlin that you were going to kill your family," Judge Dennis Yule said to Tucker.
A sworn statement from the Benton County Sheriff's Office reported that Don didn't take his friend's threat seriously until Wednesday night.
Deputies report that, without notice, Josh attacked 13-year old Elizabeth Schalchlin while she was talking on the phone with her girlfriend.
"Then you grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her in the neck," Judge Yule read from the report.
The report said Elizabeth got up momentarily then fell to the floor.
The affidavit reported the boys dragged the body behind a wall partition and tried to clean up the blood.
When Ellen walked in looking for Elizabeth, the report said Josh stabbed her too.
"Then you grabbed the knife and stabbed her several times in the upper body," the judge said.
The report said Ellen collapsed in a back bedroom, pretending to be unconscious.
Then Don told investigators he called 9-11 and Josh told him to hang up.
The report read, when dispatch called back, Don tried talking, but hung up again.
"You told don that you didn't want to get caught," the judge said.
The boys were in a car covered in blood when Sheriff's deputies stopped them and hauled the boys away.
Ellen was found breathing but died on the way to the hospital.
Again, neither teen has been formally charged.
Prosecutors have until Monday evening to do so.
Both teens could face first degree murder charges.
It's also possible don could face charges just for rendering criminal assistance, or helping cover up the crime.
Either way, those charges are severe enough that both teens would be charged as adults.
Court documents also said Josh Tucker was "troubled, " had dependency issues and violated an order for running away from a placement home.
He also had a previous warrant out for his arrest for contempt .
At this point, Josh is being held on $500,000 dollars bail.
Benton County Sheriff's deputies found Ellen Schalchlin, 41, and her 13-year-old daughter Elizabeth Schalchlin stabbed to death at their home on Rupert Road Wednesday night.
The accused killers lived right under the same roof.
Sheriff's deputies arrested the victim's own son, 15-year-old Don Schalchlin, for helping cover up the crime while a friend, 16-year-old Joshua Tucker, is accused of the stabbing.
Action News doesn't normally name juvenile suspects but this was so heinous prosecutors said the boys will likely be end up in adult court.
The two teens made their first appearance in juvenile court Thursday, since their arrest for the crimes.
Neither boy has been formally charged but both face first degree murder charges.
The judge allowed Action Mews cameras in the courtroom as long as reporters didn't show the boys' faces.
The judge read statements from each teen individually, starting with Josh.
Any questions about what unfolded , were mostly answered when a judge read the Sheriff's report.
"This statement says that you told your friend Don Schalchlin that you were going to kill your family," Judge Dennis Yule said to Tucker.
A sworn statement from the Benton County Sheriff's Office reported that Don didn't take his friend's threat seriously until Wednesday night.
Deputies report that, without notice, Josh attacked 13-year old Elizabeth Schalchlin while she was talking on the phone with her girlfriend.
"Then you grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her in the neck," Judge Yule read from the report.
The report said Elizabeth got up momentarily then fell to the floor.
The affidavit reported the boys dragged the body behind a wall partition and tried to clean up the blood.
When Ellen walked in looking for Elizabeth, the report said Josh stabbed her too.
"Then you grabbed the knife and stabbed her several times in the upper body," the judge said.
The report said Ellen collapsed in a back bedroom, pretending to be unconscious.
Then Don told investigators he called 9-11 and Josh told him to hang up.
The report read, when dispatch called back, Don tried talking, but hung up again.
"You told don that you didn't want to get caught," the judge said.
The boys were in a car covered in blood when Sheriff's deputies stopped them and hauled the boys away.
Ellen was found breathing but died on the way to the hospital.
Again, neither teen has been formally charged.
Prosecutors have until Monday evening to do so.
Both teens could face first degree murder charges.
It's also possible don could face charges just for rendering criminal assistance, or helping cover up the crime.
Either way, those charges are severe enough that both teens would be charged as adults.
Court documents also said Josh Tucker was "troubled, " had dependency issues and violated an order for running away from a placement home.
He also had a previous warrant out for his arrest for contempt .
At this point, Josh is being held on $500,000 dollars bail.
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