Jury reaches verdict in case of Blaine man accused of attempted murder
A jury found a Blaine man guilty of attempted first-degree murder in Whatcom County Superior Court on Monday, one year after he hit his former girlfriend with propane tanks in an attempt to “mercy kill” her.
Clayton Edward DuBois, 44, was arrested at St. Joseph Medical Center at about 3:40 a.m. Aug. 20, 2024. Hospital employees detained him after he dropped off a bloody woman at the emergency department, according to court records. The woman had multiple facial fractures, a broken elbow and ribs, and cuts and scraps on her arms.
DuBois told police that he was trying to kill the woman when he hit her with propane bottles in his garage, court documents state. He said he decided to take her to the hospital because of a “change of heart.”
Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Benjamin Pratt said that this “full confession” was emphasized to the jury prior to deliberation, which lasted about three hours. He said there “wasn’t a lot to contest” from the state’s perspective, and he was glad that the jurors chose to convict DuBois.
Pratt also said the case highlighted the danger of methamphetamine, which DuBois was using at the time of the crime.
While a sentencing date has not yet been confirmed, Pratt said the state intends to ask for the center of the standard range — roughly 18 years in prison.
“He did a horrible thing,” Pratt said. “He also took (the victim) to the hospital after he did the horrible thing.”
In addition to attempted first-degree murder, jurors found DuBois guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and domestic violence.
DuBois’ public defender, Carl Munson, said he is “obviously disappointed with the verdict.” He said DuBois should have been charged with assault, not attempted murder.
Munson said he and DuBois will be filing an appeal, and he believes they “have strong arguments to present to a higher court.”
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM.