Doreen Starrish

Background

Doreen Starrish was a Shoreline woman who stabbed her long-time boyfriend to death and later apologized at her sentencing hearing in King County Superior Court. She had a troubled past and an extensive police record that included arrests for drug offenses and assault.

The relationship included a history of violence and abuse. Court records showed that Aaron Smith had a history of assault, including an alleged attack on Starrish last August in which he was accused of hitting her legs while she slept on the couch. The couple also had a misdemeanor assault charge against Smith, and there was a domestic-violence-protection order barring Smith from contacting Starrish that was in effect at the time of the slaying.

Starrish was also described as intoxicated and high on heroin during the events leading to the stabbing, and prosecutors said the argument was sparked when Smith tried to prevent Starrish from leaving the house with the children because she was intoxicated and high on heroin.

At the sentencing hearing, Starrish talked about how much she missed her daughters, Alice and Helen Smith. She said: “I know Aaron’s family misses him. I know my kids miss him, and there’s nothing I can do to bring him back. I wish I could,” she said.

The offence

Starrish stabbed Aaron Smith in the chest at the couple’s Shoreline home during an argument.

Deputies were called to the family’s home in the 1500 block of Northeast 190th Street on May 3, 2012 after friends told investigators the couple had been arguing for several hours when Smith was stabbed.

After stabbing Smith, Starrish fled with their two young daughters, who were 7 and 3 at the time, triggering an Amber Alert.

Investigation

Friends who were at the home told investigators the couple had been arguing for several hours before Smith was stabbed.

Prosecutors said the argument was sparked when Smith tried to prevent Starrish from leaving the house with the children because she was intoxicated and high on heroin.

An Amber Alert was issued for the children. That night, Seattle police received a phone call from Smith’s brother saying the children had been dropped off at their great-grandmother’s house.

Police also found that Starrish left the scene in a 2000 silver Lincoln Navigator. Seattle police found the car a short time later at Northeast 125th Street and Lake City Way, and a man was driving the car while the children and their mother were not inside.

Anderson said Starrish switched to a different getaway car: “She was dropped off at a nearby McDonalds where she got into a black Cadillac STS,” he said. Police did not have any further details on the car.

Starrish’s phone number was held by deputies, who attempted to reach her but were unsuccessful.

Arrest

Starrish was on the run for several days. She turned herself in at the King County Jail on May 6.

At turn-in, she was booked into the King County Jail on first-degree assault charges.

She was being held on $1 million bail.

Trial

Starrish entered a plea of not guilty.

She was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder on Dec. 6, 2013.

At trial, Starrish’s attorney, Robert Perez of Perez and Perez Law LLC, argued that Starrish was acting in self-defense and asked for an exceptional sentence because of multiple claims of abuse.

Perez reminded the judge of testimony from a witness during the trial late last year who “reported seeing Aaron Smith dragging Doreen by her hair through the streets, in front of his house.”

Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor Carla Carlstrom asked the judge for an 18-year sentence, citing Starrish’s violent temper, and said: “She has a history of losing control, getting extremely angry and acting out,” and added: “In this case, she got a knife and she stabbed somebody.”

Carlstrom also said the evidence showed violence and abuse in the relationship but stated that it was perpetrated by both parties.

Sentencing

On January 31, 2014, Starrish apologized before she was sentenced to 14 years in prison in King County Superior Court. She said: “I’ve been waiting 21 months to tell Aaron’s family, and my family, that I’m sorry,” and later said: “I never meant for any of this to happen,” and “I’m really, really sorry.”

Defense attorney Robert Perez asked for a sentence lower than the standard range of 14 to 22 years in prison and argued for only seven years behind bars because of years of abuse.

Superior Court Judge Mary Yu sentenced Starrish to 14 years, calling the couple’s relationship one of the most dysfunctional she had ever seen, because of the violence they used against each other. Yu said she recognized that Starrish had endured difficulties in her life that “might explain some of the choices she made along the way, but it’s not an excuse.”

Judge Yu had earlier agreed the relationship was violent and said the couple had “one of the most dysfunctional families” she’d seen before the court.

Appeals

Starrish would appeal her sentence.

Outcome

Aaron Smith died after being stabbed in the chest during the attack. An Amber Alert was issued for the children, and the girls were found safe at a relative’s home.

Other details

Starrish was described as 28 or 29 years old across the reporting. The location of the stabbing was the 1500 block of Northeast 190th Street in Shoreline. The charging papers stated that the children were with their father when Starrish came over. The incident led to a daylong Amber Alert that was later called off after the children were found unharmed.