1 teen killed, 1 injured in Bellingham double stabbing
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - One teen was stabbed to death and a second suffered stab wounds to his face early Saturday after a party at a Bellingham home, police said.
Officers later arrested the suspect following a short foot chase when he returned to the stabbing scene, covered in mud and blood.
Police first learned of the double stabbing at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday when they were called to St. Joseph Medical Center, where the two victims were brought by a private vehicle, said Mark Young of the Bellingham police.
Witnesses who brought the victims to the hospital told officers that the stabbings had occurred around the area of Samish Way and Fielding Avenue, and they provided a description of the suspect.
The officers then went to a home in the 500 block of Samish Way, where there had been a party the evening before.
As the officers were interviewing two of the residents, the suspect opened the door and walked in. He was covered in mud and had what appeared to be blood on his clothing, Young said.
When the suspect saw the officers, he ran from the house. He was caught a short time later, following a brief foot chase. After he was positively identified by several witnesses, the suspect was placed under arrest. He was later identified as Geoff K. Spain, 21.
One of the victims, a 17-year-old Whatcom County resident, died of his injuries. His name has not been released pending notification of his family.
The second stabbing victim, an 18-year-old Whatcom County man, received non-life-threatening wounds to his face. He was treated and released from the hospital.
The crime scene, at Samish Way and Fielding Avenue, was closed for several hours while police conducted their investigation. A knife believed to be the murder weapon was found at the scene and has been impounded, Young said.
Spain was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for investigation of 2nd-degree murder.
Bellingham police detectives are asking anyone with information about the stabbings to contact Detective Dan Kelsh at (360) 778-8800.
Officers later arrested the suspect following a short foot chase when he returned to the stabbing scene, covered in mud and blood.
Police first learned of the double stabbing at about 2:15 a.m. Saturday when they were called to St. Joseph Medical Center, where the two victims were brought by a private vehicle, said Mark Young of the Bellingham police.
Witnesses who brought the victims to the hospital told officers that the stabbings had occurred around the area of Samish Way and Fielding Avenue, and they provided a description of the suspect.
The officers then went to a home in the 500 block of Samish Way, where there had been a party the evening before.
As the officers were interviewing two of the residents, the suspect opened the door and walked in. He was covered in mud and had what appeared to be blood on his clothing, Young said.
When the suspect saw the officers, he ran from the house. He was caught a short time later, following a brief foot chase. After he was positively identified by several witnesses, the suspect was placed under arrest. He was later identified as Geoff K. Spain, 21.
One of the victims, a 17-year-old Whatcom County resident, died of his injuries. His name has not been released pending notification of his family.
The second stabbing victim, an 18-year-old Whatcom County man, received non-life-threatening wounds to his face. He was treated and released from the hospital.
The crime scene, at Samish Way and Fielding Avenue, was closed for several hours while police conducted their investigation. A knife believed to be the murder weapon was found at the scene and has been impounded, Young said.
Spain was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for investigation of 2nd-degree murder.
Bellingham police detectives are asking anyone with information about the stabbings to contact Detective Dan Kelsh at (360) 778-8800.
maybe it is time to pass new knife length limit legislation
This is a tragedy!!! Â Where is Obama and Congress calling for Knife legislation and Knife reform!!! Â Everyone has access to knives these days, you don't kneed a permit and it's legal to carry a knife in all 50 states!! Â The madness in this country continues!
I have known Geoff since Elementary School. I have never known him to go out and look for a fight, just defend himself or even other people. What would you people do if you were being attacked by 2 people and were afraid you were going to get severly hurt by 2 younger boys, who were most likely under the influence and didn't know when to stop fighting you? I would take any weapon I could find and try to defend myself and I believe that is what Geoff did. I am not saying that the 2 boys who were stabbed were the one's who started the fight, but for anyone who has been to a party or a bar for that matter knows that things can excallate rapidly.
I don't believe he even tried to kill them, just slow them down. He just did it the wrong way. So for those of you who knew the victum I am sorry, but I only know what Geoff is like and where/how he was raised.
People should be asking, what the fight was about and why the article doesn't say that anyone tried to help Geoff fight off those 2 boys before things got so out of hand. Because there must have been at least a few people cheering on the fight. Did they get repremanded for not trying to stop it? No.
I've known Geoff for two years and he was one of my roommates all last year. I wasn't at the party that night and no one seems to know the full story. People need to wait until everything comes out before passing such harsh judgement. Im not saying that what he did is okay and I feel really bad for the victims and their families. I also feel bad that my friend could be going away for years because of one bad mistake. Again im not saying what he did is okay and I do not know the full story. But neither do any of you. Why were 17 and 18 year olds (high school students) at a college party at 2:30 in the morning? Why was the fight two on one? Why did they not call an ambulance immediately? Theres too many factors involved to just immediately say that they should lock Geoff up for years and years. If the investigation finds that it was not self defense whatsoever then okay, he will have to deal with the consequences. But don't sit there and speculate that, "oh they were younger than him, they must've been like 100 pounds." Seniors in high school can be just as big if not bigger than a 21 year old. And regardless, you can feel that your life is threatened when you're getting beat on by two people and you're alone. They were at HIS house on HIS property. So I'm not trying to say that what he did was okay and that I don't feel horrible for the victims, because I do. I'm just saying that everyone needs to stop being so harsh until everything comes out about what really happened.
Bellingham is far more dangerous than seattle
Could it because there are mass-inbreeding in Bellingham?...just noticing the likeliness of it's residence. Also a recent study findings that inbreeding causes party-pooperness? among the same breed of people.
People on here are stupid! Yea it may have been self defense. But there were no other weapons found on the boys or at the scene. So, if they were fighting with their hands, then there was absolutely no reason why Geoff should have used a knife. The boy that was killed was only 17 and  probably only weighed like 100 lbs. He was stabbed three times. Not just once. Im sure that Geoff didn't mean to kill him, but in all reality, what else is anyone who uses a knife expecting to happen? A knife can EASILY kill someone. He should have been a MAN and fought with his hands. And just because you've known him for however many years and he would NEVER do this. He did. Now he is going to spend life in prison for KILLING a 17 year old boy, who believe it or not, was a really nice person. Everyone in that town knows him and got along with him. Im not saying that maybe the younger boys didn't start the fight, who knows. But all I know is that the reports don't say ANYTHING about Geoff having wounds. And I do believe that if those boys had weapons, Geoff would have been injured as well. And who cares how they got to the hospital? How the hell is that suspicious? So they didn't call an ambulance, they were still the ones who got stabbed.
Im not saying that I was at the party and I was a witness. But yes, I do know more then half the people that were there, and I have friends on both sides. Im not saying that it wasn't those boys' faults at all. What I am saying, Is that anyone and everyone who uses a knife in a fight and ends up seriously hurting someone/killing someone, is most likely going to face far worse consequences then someone who just fights with their fists. And okay maybe like  120 lbs. You can look him up on Facebook and see for yourself. And I would have said the same exact thing if it was the other way around... NO ONE should use weapons is my point. If he didn't use a knife, most likely no one would be dead and he wouldn't be facing charges of second degree murder. But I do believe that people should pay for what they do... and even though he didn't mean to, he still murdered someone.
 @Bmae "Should've ben a MAN and fought with his hands"
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Maybe they should've been MEN and not fought him two on one. And what 17 year old weighs 100 pounds? Are you kidding me? 15 year old girls weigh over 100 pounds. What 17 and 18 year olds go to a college party at 2:30 in the morning? I doubt Geoff would have just attacked two people while he was by himself. What if they came at him? Rest in peace to the deceased kid and ill be praying for his family. But apparently everyone on here is stupid and you're an eyewitness to everything. Maybe we should just close the investigation and have the police talk to you, seeing that you know everything that happened that night?
It's interesting reading the comment below because when I read this, and it said he came back while police were there questioning people. Immediately I thought: "he lives there and returned home." The fact that he came home, to me, means he absolutely did not plan to kill these people. If he did, he would have had a plan to get away clean. In my mind, I surmised that it was a fight gone bad, with bad odds, at a party where people weren't in their best mind-frame. And, because he came home, I feel that he was probably freaked out about what he did, had no idea what else to do, or where else to go. Or maybe forgot a lot of it. I almost feel it could easily have been self defense.
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And running does not necessarily mean it wasn't self defense. Even if he was defending himself, seeing the police might cause one to panic, knowing the horrible outcome.
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Also, where it says, "stabbed to death", it leaves one to assume he stabbed the victim over and over. But, one stab wound, placed just so, can have the same affect.
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The fact that the victims showed up at the hospital in a private auto, is also a bit suspicious - why not call aid?
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It's also interesting to me how many people on this board are quick to jump in and threaten bodily harm to anyone who would threaten you, but are just as quick to jump on the opposite band wagon and convict this guy for possibly doing what you all say you'd do...So confusing.
i've known goeff sence 7th grade. this is not somthing he would do unless he had no choice. geoff was always the nice popular kid in school with the most friends and that everybody liked. hes not a thug or a bully or any of that. i still cant believe hes in this situation. i feel bad for the victum but i feel worse that my best friend for 7 years now is going to prison for somthing that never should've happend. i dont know what happend but it sounds like he was in a fight against 2 people which is unfair odds in the first place and if that was me getting beat up by 2 people then i would do whatever i could to defend myself which is what i think he did. like i said hes not the type of guy to just stab sombody without a reason to. he has been living there with his friends and going to college there for about 2 years now. he's a good kid and doesnt deserve to be made out to be a thug or a killer. and now hes probly gonna lose alot of years of his life for something that happend while they were drunk. and now i lost a good friend.. all i ask is to show some respect sence you all wernt their that night and dont know what happend and why he did it.
I have never really been a friend of Geoff's, but I have known him since we were in Elementary School and I lived 2 houses down from him until after highschool. I don't believe he would do anything like this unless provoked and/or under the influence of something. But, he was never a violent person and I don't believe he meant to severly harm anyone.
Sorry, but I realize that is the natural reaction of any friend or family member.Â
The REALITY is, when you partake in a party scene, and especially enhance yourself with a little alcohol or dope - all bets are off. Anyone can become anything, regardless of how they used to be.
 @smile now die later Yeah, a great guy returns to the scene and then runs from the cops. Love his FB favorite quote, "if you're not wasted, the day is"  Â
@GoEast542 Yep - has SELF DEFENSE written all over it!
See ya!
Never been to a party where people bring knives or other weapons and fights break out. Oh well, you are who your friends are, not sure why it seems to be so hard for people to have a good time without it degenerating into brawls where someones's life ends. At least the killer is in custody.
we need to make bellingham a no knife zone
I have to admit it is refreshing to see our young people using something other than ASSAULT RIFLES to assault each other with.
@Rick4001CS so all of you that disagree think that it wouldn't be more refreshing to see all the shootings that have happened at schools over the years happen with knives? where there would be roughly a 80% less tragedy rate
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 @Rick4001CS Refreshing? or are you relieved that this one was not gun related? Refreshing sounds uplifting and to be repeated.
I would rather these thugs knife each other to death instead of using firearms, yes. And to the extent that it rids the world of miscreants and lowlifes so much the better.
 @Rick4001CS and why do you prefer knifes over firearms?
 @Rick4001CS Not sure if you are ignorant, or stupid? Maybe both?
really? you are not sure? One or the other, perhaps both? You just cant make up your mind then? Take a time out and go think about it a while. Think real hard. Come back and let me know what you have decided. I care. I really do care.
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@jhonpoul7 And Komo approved this post? Let's all do that now.
Seems Bellingham is fast becoming the lil gangster town of the north..
 @Windowseat It's been that way for a while now. It all started after Expo 86.
Just wondering if any of these three had a police record, and if they did, what kind of sentence did they get?
Don't party - stay alive. Pretty simple.
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Plus - Getting AWFUL tired of the "BAN (**place subject of the hour here**)" sentiments. Almost as stupid and corny now as all the "Darwin" remarks when someone dies from careless means.
@Throbbinhood ha ha sheeple ha ha
 @Throbbinhood I agree on "Ban _____" getting old. "it's Bush's fault" is getting really old too.
We should ban all people who say "it's Bush's fault!"
 @Throbbinhood What should be banned are the mental midgets who think eliminating a object will solve the problem. Remember how banning alcohol solved the drinking problems. Most of you argued that banning pot was not going to stop people from smoking it.
 @Throbbinhood "Getting AWFUL tired of the "BAN (**place subject of the hour here**)" sentiments." Preaching to the choir. But those people think it's a clever argument (or trolling, I'm not sure which) and won't stop anytime soon.
 @Just_Mike  @Throbbinhood put it into perspective of the time on the commenting board. If you are a newbee you may think it's extremely witty to ask for a ban on (something). If people do it after months, they are probably a little retarded
 @Just_Mike"Getting AWFUL tired of the "BAN so-called assault weapons on the premise that they LOOK scary when other weapons that don't are okay.
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I have several weapons, all shoot straight and are just as deadly as the scary looking ones are. Same goes for people that think magazine size is going to hamper an assailant's ability to kill in 'gun free zones'.
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Sheeple following the corrupt and propagandist rhetoric being spewed from DC. progressive politicians. Some of the people in these forums have got their head so far up obama's rectum that they risk snapping their neck if obama doesn't signal when he turns to the right/left.
 @gjkallday "I mean come on you really want people to have semi auto rifles that have 30 round clips?"
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I have several weapons that fit into that category. The only difference is that my weapons use magazines.
@gjkallday Clips? Lay off the dope for a few minutes and tell me what the difference between a clip and a magazine is? Tit for tat but if you don't know what the proper names are for parts of a gun, maybe you should study up first.
@komoispropaganda @Just_Mike Yeah and the reason there reviseing the gun rights is because when it was placed people also had muskets..... I mean come on you really want people to have semi auto rifles that have 30 round clips?
 @138  I'm not a member of any party, and I stand by the Constitution and will not budge on the Bill of Rights.
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Soap box? No. I get nose bleeds at high altitudes.
@komoispropaganda Any opportunity for a soap box, eh?
 @Just_Mike  @Throbbinhood yes agreed.
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it was funny (not really) about 2000 posts ago.
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 @sunnysandiego  @Just_Mike  @Throbbinhood I am thinking about assaulting someone with a stick of deodorant just to make these repetitive clowns say "Ban Ban!"
Don't ban knives encourage anyone hell bent on murdering say 31 college students or a large number of elementary school age kids will have a tough time with that method compared to the use of a gun. Don't take my word on it just review the efficiency in which guns kill lots of people. We have many great examples here in the United States.
 @sunnysandiego So is it sooo much better if a knife wielding guy only have time to kill 10 kids, while the gun man kills 15? My dear God, when will you morons understand that this is not about the tool, but about the person using the tool! No normal person goes on a killing spree, with a gun or a knife! The problem lies with the person using the knife, or gun, we need to take care of the mentally ill, one way or another! Mentally sick people are the problem, not the tool they are using!
 @sunnysandiego I personally feel you just made the exact point everyone is avoiding. Dont ban knives or cars or baseball bats ,,, just ban guns. Just about any inanimate object can be used to kill. Lets completely by-pass the real problem which is the killer,s. Few people seem to remember Timothy McVeigh who killed over 100 including 19 children under the age of 6.
 @Snoop depends on how you look at it.
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we don't allow people to carry bombs and why is that so?
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using your logic we should not ban bombs just try to find the people who might use them in a bad way.
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but the law says no and has made bombs illegal (thank goodness).
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if people were all good and none bad this would not be necessary. But we know this is not the case. Â So doing ANYTHING to alleviate the ease for which anyone crazy or otherwise can get a gun into their hands is not a bad thing.
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Good law abiding citizens will still have access to all the guns they need to protect their family just might have to wait a bit longer.
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 @sunnysandiego  How many death,s would have been avoided if the killers had been removed from the equation? And by the way ,, murder is illegal ,, has that stopped very many. Murder/ killing has been with us since Cain slew Able. Banning a 20 round magazine will only result in two 10 round mags being used. It only takes a few seconds to change them.
 @sunnysandiego ...and your point?
 @Stock Woodie just noting to anyone who thinks we should "ban knives" I say no.  again if knives were the weapon of choice virginia tech among many others would not have seen such a huge body count.  lots harder to kill 31 with a knife than a 9....
 @sunnysandiego Maybe more difficult, but not impossible.  We can do "what if's" all day long.