Bellingham woman accused of trying to kill two children to be held without bail
The Bellingham woman charged with attempting to murder two children made her first court appearance Thursday afternoon in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Brenda Doreen Wilder-Brown, 43, pleaded not guilty to two counts of premeditated attempted first-degree murder in the jail courtroom. Commissioner Kacie B. Emerick ruled that she would be held without bail.
Wilder-Brown was arrested May 16 after a 9-year-old child called police from a neighbor’s house to report that their 4-year-old sibling had been stabbed. The 4-year-old was found with 15 knife wounds when police arrived, according to court records. There was also evidence that the child was strangled.
Wilder-Brown was temporarily released from jail four days after her arrest to receive emergency medical and psychiatric treatment. A mental health professional at the Whatcom County Jail testified that Wilder-Brown had been in the midst of a psychotic episode since she was taken into custody, and had refused to eat or drink.
Public defender Kayla Wolfe said Thursday that Wilder-Brown is now taking medication, and there is “a night-and-day difference.” She asked that the commissioner grant Wilder-Brown bail, stating that she didn’t pose a threat and had no criminal history.
Wolfe said the planned attempt to kill the children, was “completely outside of her character,” and the result of a mental health crisis. She added that Wilder-Brown had “extensive community support.”
The hearing viewing room in the basement of the Whatcom County Courthouse was full, and others watched the proceedings remotely via Zoom, some wiping away tears.
The state argued that the “horrific facts” of the case needed to be considered, and the father of the children attacked also asked that Wilder-Brown be held without bail out of fear that she would encounter the kids.
Emerick agreed with the state, saying that Wilder-Brown poses a substantial danger to the community and the victims. She said the allegations at the center of the case are “quite disturbing.”
A no-contact order has been put in place between Wilder-Brown and the children. Her next court appearance is scheduled for July 8.
If convicted, Wilder-Brown faces up to life in prison.