Murder, animal cruelty charges filed against husband in Sunnyland principal’s death
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Lynn Heimsoth murder
Sunnyland Elementary School Principal Lynn Heimsoth, her therapy dog Sukha and the family cat were shot to death Dec. 26, 2019, at her home west of Bellingham. Kevin Heimsoth, her husband who reportedly attempted to kill himself after her death, has been charged with murder and animal cruelty.
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The Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office filed formal murder charges Friday, Jan. 3, against the Bellingham man accused of fatally shooting his wife, who was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary School, and their two pets in their home west of Bellingham Dec. 26.
Kevin Ralph Heimsoth, 56, was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of first-degree animal cruelty (a felony), according to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
According to charging documents, Heimsoth is charged with premeditated murder. The charging documents also include an additional penalty for committing the alleged murder with a firearm, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records.
During an interview at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Heimsoth told a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office detective that he did not kill his wife and that he knew who did, court records state.
Heimsoth is suspected of fatally shooting his wife, 58-year-old Lynn Heimsoth. Her death was ruled a homicide on Dec. 27 by the Whatcom County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Lynn Heimsoth’s therapy dog, Sukha — who attended school with her — and a cat were also found fatally shot in their home in the 900 block of Marine Drive.
Kevin Heimsoth remained in serious condition Friday, Jan. 3, in the Intensive Care Unit at Harborview with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office and Susan Gregg, a hospital spokesperson.
Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said Heimsoth has not been formally arrested, because he would need to appear before a judge within 72 hours, and that is not practical at this time due to his hospitalization. Elfo said deputies continue to monitor him at his bedside.
Elfo said an arrest warrant has been issued and once Heimsoth is released from the hospital, or becomes ambulatory, deputies will serve him.
The crime
Around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 26, the sheriff’s office responded to a 911 call from a neighbor that Heimsoth had possibly killed his wife and shot himself in the head, according to court records.
Neighbors found Heimsoth sitting on a couch, alive, with what appeared to be a head wound and with a left-handed revolver within arm’s reach, the court records state. Detectives later confirmed Heimsoth is left-handed and purchased the revolver from a Bellingham pawn shop in August 2019, the records state.
Heimsoth was removed by medics and taken to St. Joseph’s hospital. Due to his injuries, he was airlifted to Harborview, the records state.
Evidence suggests Heimsoth reloaded the five-shot revolver three times, records show.
Deputies found at least five bullet impact holes in the drywall/closet door in the room where Heimsoth was located. Lynn Heimsoth was found dead underneath her covers in bed, court records state.
There was no evidence of forced entry into the house and all the doors were locked, the records state. Lynn Heimsoth’s death was determined to be from a gunshot wound to head, and a spent round from what appeared to be a .38 was found between her pillow and pillowcase, according to court records.
A cat, which appeared to have been shot, was found in the kitchen.
A dog, which was later determined to be Lynn Heimsoth’s therapy dog, Suhka, was found shot to death in the bottom floor of the residence, according to court records.
A veterinarian later determined both the dog and cat were each shot multiple times.
The neighbors entered the Heimsoth home around 10 a.m. on Dec. 26 through the double-locked front door. One of the neighbors reported hearing “suspicious noises, possibly gunshots,” around 3 a.m. that morning, court records state.
The neighbor told deputies that he heard a noise followed by what he thought was someone falling down the stairs, accompanied by several groans. The neighbor then said he heard at least five “cracking noises he believed were gunshots” from the home, which is directly above his bedroom, the records show.
The neighbor then texted Lynn Heimsoth around 7:30 a.m. that morning and expressed concern that something had happened at her home, according to court records. After no response, the man contacted a fellow neighbor and friend of Lynn Heimsoth’s, and the pair made entry into the home using a spare key, the records show.
On Dec. 27, the sheriff’s office was alerted to a Twitter account that may have belonged to Kevin Heimsoth in which he may have admitted to killing his family in replies to the National Rifle Association, President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Undersheriff Doug Chadwick said the sheriff’s office was aware of the Twitter account, but that as of Dec. 30, they had not determined whether it belonged to the suspect.
Twitter has since suspended the account.
Claiming innocence
On Jan. 1, a detective with the sheriff’s office, went to Harborview to interview Heimsoth in his room. Medical staff told the detective Heimsoth was able to answer basic yes or no questions through the use of his thumb in an up and down “yes” and “no” motion, according to court records.
Heimsoth opened his eyes and appeared to track the detective and agreed to cooperate with a recorded interview, court records show. Heimsoth said he understood his Miranda rights and a hospital assistant remained in the room as a witness, the records state.
According to charging documents, Heimsoth answered “yes” via a thumbs up to the following questions:
▪ “Do you remember what happened?”
▪ “Do you know why it happened?”
▪ “Did you shoot your wife?”
▪ “Do you know the difference between right and wrong?”
▪ “Can you explain what happened?”
Heimsoth later answered through yes or no questions that he was not responsible but knows who is, court records state. Heimsoth told the detective he knew the subject and would identify the subject when he’s able to properly communicate, the records state.
Throughout the interview, Heimsoth shook or nodded his head in an effort to answer, and also made two different unsuccessful attempts to write his answers, court records state.
Lynn Heimsoth’s adult children, as well as at least two friends, stated that she was adamantly against the possession of firearms, and that she would not have allowed “a firearm of any kind in her residence,” court records state. They said it was partly the result of her employment as a paraeducator in Marysville during the Marysville-Pilchuck High School shooting in October 2014 when five students were shot to death, court records state.
Friends and family told detectives they had no knowledge of Kevin Heimsoth’s firearm, the records show.
In charging documents, Whatcom County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erik Sigmar argued that Kevin Heimsoth committed premeditated murder due to no one knowing he purchased a gun, Heimsoth’s alleged tweets, that he would have had to walk up two flights of stairs to reach his wife, and that he allegedly reloaded the revolver on three separate occasions.
District’s resources
Lynn Heimsoth was the principal at Sunnyland Elementary since July 2017. She previously served as the principal at Shoultes Elementary in Marysville for four years. She also worked for Bremerton, North Kitsap and South Kitsap school districts as an elementary teacher and instructional leader, according to the school district.
More than 200 people attended a candlelight vigil held in her honor at Sunnyland Elementary on Dec. 27.
The school district announced Dec. 30 that Amy Berreth, the dean at Sunnyland, will step in as principal, while Brian Pahl will serve as dean and continue to support staff with technology professional development.
The district also provided resources for families to speak with their children about the tragedy, which help deal with death and grief.
A celebration of life for Lynn Heimsoth is being held at the Bellingham High School Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 4. Moles Farewell Tributes said it expected more than 1,000 people to attend the celebration.
The family asked that media not attend or cover the service.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 3:27 PM.
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