Topline: A man convicted of trying to kill a woman on a Tacoma park trail was sentenced to 22 years in prison after jurors heard she suffered devastating head, neck and shoulder wounds.
Published: June 14, 2026 4:00 pm ET
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TACOMA, WA — Nicholas Matthew was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder in the February 2024 stabbing attack at Point Defiance Park.
KING 5 reported that Matthew received 240 months in prison, plus an additional two years for a deadly weapon offense, for an effective 22-year sentence.
Trial testimony described a violent assault on a park trail in which the victim said Matthew held a knife to her throat and repeatedly threatened her life.
The attack stopped when another person approached on the trail and asked the woman if she was OK. Multiple bystanders then intervened, fought Matthew off and he fled into nearby trees, according to testimony.
The woman was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital for emergency surgery. She suffered multiple lacerations to her head, neck and shoulder, a partially severed ear and breathing difficulties. Doctors placed more than 150 staples in her head.
Tacoma police identified Matthew as the suspect and spent nearly seven weeks searching for him.
According to court documents, investigators tracked Matthew to Georgia before learning he had boarded a flight to San Francisco. Authorities said he was trying to leave the country when he was arrested at San Francisco International Airport.
The case was delayed by competency questions. A forensic evaluation found symptoms consistent with schizoaffective disorder, and Matthew was transferred to Western State Hospital for treatment in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services.
He was found competent to stand trial in October 2024, arraigned on the attempted first-degree murder charge and held on $2 million bail. The court later ordered another competency evaluation, and he was again found competent in June.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Woman’s Ear Partially Severed in Park Trail Attack; Stabber Gets 22 Years
A man convicted of trying to kill a woman on a Tacoma park trail was sentenced to 22 years in prison after jurors heard she suffered devastating head, neck and shoulder wounds.
By Aaron Stephensen
Published: June 14, 2026 4:00 pm ET
TACOMA, WA — Nicholas Matthew was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder in the February 2024 stabbing attack at Point Defiance Park.
KING 5 reported that Matthew received 240 months in prison, plus an additional two years for a deadly weapon offense, for an effective 22-year sentence.
Trial testimony described a violent assault on a park trail in which the victim said Matthew held a knife to her throat and repeatedly threatened her life.
The attack stopped when another person approached on the trail and asked the woman if she was OK. Multiple bystanders then intervened, fought Matthew off and he fled into nearby trees, according to testimony.
The woman was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital for emergency surgery. She suffered multiple lacerations to her head, neck and shoulder, a partially severed ear and breathing difficulties. Doctors placed more than 150 staples in her head.
Tacoma police identified Matthew as the suspect and spent nearly seven weeks searching for him.
According to court documents, investigators tracked Matthew to Georgia before learning he had boarded a flight to San Francisco. Authorities said he was trying to leave the country when he was arrested at San Francisco International Airport.
The case was delayed by competency questions. A forensic evaluation found symptoms consistent with schizoaffective disorder, and Matthew was transferred to Western State Hospital for treatment in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services.
He was found competent to stand trial in October 2024, arraigned on the attempted first-degree murder charge and held on $2 million bail. The court later ordered another competency evaluation, and he was again found competent in June.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Woman’s Ear Partially Severed in Park Trail Attack; Stabber Gets 22 Years
A man convicted of trying to kill a woman on a Tacoma park trail was sentenced to 22 years in prison after jurors heard she suffered devastating head, neck and shoulder wounds.
By Aaron Stephensen
Published: June 14, 2026 4:00 pm ET
TACOMA, WA — Nicholas Matthew was sentenced Friday after a jury found him guilty of attempted first-degree murder in the February 2024 stabbing attack at Point Defiance Park.
KING 5 reported that Matthew received 240 months in prison, plus an additional two years for a deadly weapon offense, for an effective 22-year sentence.
Trial testimony described a violent assault on a park trail in which the victim said Matthew held a knife to her throat and repeatedly threatened her life.
The attack stopped when another person approached on the trail and asked the woman if she was OK. Multiple bystanders then intervened, fought Matthew off and he fled into nearby trees, according to testimony.
The woman was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital for emergency surgery. She suffered multiple lacerations to her head, neck and shoulder, a partially severed ear and breathing difficulties. Doctors placed more than 150 staples in her head.
Tacoma police identified Matthew as the suspect and spent nearly seven weeks searching for him.
According to court documents, investigators tracked Matthew to Georgia before learning he had boarded a flight to San Francisco. Authorities said he was trying to leave the country when he was arrested at San Francisco International Airport.
The case was delayed by competency questions. A forensic evaluation found symptoms consistent with schizoaffective disorder, and Matthew was transferred to Western State Hospital for treatment in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services.
He was found competent to stand trial in October 2024, arraigned on the attempted first-degree murder charge and held on $2 million bail. The court later ordered another competency evaluation, and he was again found competent in June.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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