Whatcom man who died after allegedly being stabbed by his daughter identified
The man who died Thursday, April 23, after allegedly being stabbed by his daughter during an argument has been identified as 57-year-old Dale M. Henefin, according to Whatcom County Medical Examiner Dr. Gary Goldfogel.
Henefin’s death has been ruled a homicide, Dr. Goldfogel told The Bellingham Herald in an email Tuesday, April 28. Dr. Goldfogel also found Henefin died after his brain failed to receive enough oxygen following a single stab wound to the left chest.
Henefin’s daughter, Kali Marie McConnell, 33, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder, second-degree assault and first-degree burglary. She is being held in Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned May 1 in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Zachary Ivan Tellez, 29, was arrested Friday, April 24, on suspicion of of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary. Tellez’s bail was lowered to $250,000 during his first appearance, and jail records show he was released on bail Monday night, April 27. He is scheduled to be arraigned June 12.
Court records show that McConnell and Tellez arrived at Henefin’s house in the 4700 block of Mission Road at 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. The pair had gone there to get painkillers for Tellez.
A woman who also lived at Henefin’s home arrived shortly after Tellez and McConnell, and heard yelling coming from inside.
An argument that began over a cigarette reportedly evolved into a physical fight between Tellez and Henefin. During that fight, McConnell allegedly went into the kitchen and assaulted the other woman who lived at the home. McConnell then dragged the woman out of the house by her hair, and told her to leave. The woman was able to get in her car, back down the driveway and call 911, according to court records.
McConnell also got into a fight with Henefin, and at some point allegedly stabbed him, the records show. McConnell then got into a car with Tellez and said “Get … in, I stabbed him,” before the pair drove off at a high rate of speed, the court records state.
When the woman went back inside the house, she found Henefin, who told her McConnell stabbed him once in the back below his shoulder blade, court records state.
Henefin was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph’s hospital where, despite emergency surgery to repair a punctured lung, he died at approximately 5:40 p.m.
