Court records: Man repeatedly shot 4-year-old girl with pellet gun
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LYNNWOOD, Wash. - A 26-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly tied up his 4-year-old stepdaughter and shot her more than 36 times with an Airsoft pellet rifle, according to court documents.
Court papers say the pain inflicted on the girl was "the equivalent of that produced by torture."
The suspect, Stetson G. Tedder, 26, of Lynnwood was booked into the Snohomish County jail Thursday for investigation of second-degree assault on a child and unlawful imprisonment. He was released Saturday after making bail.
The case came to light when the little girl's grandmother noticed red dots all over her body and asked the girl what had happened.
The girl told her grandmother that Tedder had hog-tied her and shot her with a pellet gun, and that she had cried from the pain, court documents say.
The grandmother took the little girl to Providence Hospital in Everett, where she was examined. Her grandmother and hospital staff counted more than 36 marks on the little girl's body.
The girl told detectives that Tedder became angry when she woke him up early, so he shot her with the pellet gun, according to documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
On another occasion, the girl said, Tedder tied her up after her room was messy and made her pick up her room with her teeth, court documents say.
An investigation discovered that Tedder owns an Airsoft AR-15 style rifle, and it's believed this was used to fire pellets at the girl.
According to court records, the girl was bound by the wrists and ankles as a form of punishment. While bound, she was shot multiple times with the pellet gun.
"Stetson knowingly inflicted bodily harm which by design caused pain as to the equivalent of that used by torture," a detective wrote in his probable cause report.
Court records also say Tedder admitted to detectives that he used duct tape to hog-tie the little girl as a form of punishment for up to 30 minutes.
"The suspect did admit to investigators he would use the hog tying, whether though zip ties, or duct tape as a form of punishment," said said Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton
The girl told police that her mom left the house when Tedder was shooting at her with the gun because "she doesn't want to hear her cry," court documents say.
The girl has since been taken into protective custody. Ireton said the 4-year old might not be the only victim in the case.
"I believe the sister had also been punished this way as well, and during the course of the investigation the victim reported her sister had been shot at with a BB gun by the suspect for waking him up too early," she said.
Court papers say the pain inflicted on the girl was "the equivalent of that produced by torture."
The suspect, Stetson G. Tedder, 26, of Lynnwood was booked into the Snohomish County jail Thursday for investigation of second-degree assault on a child and unlawful imprisonment. He was released Saturday after making bail.
The case came to light when the little girl's grandmother noticed red dots all over her body and asked the girl what had happened.
The girl told her grandmother that Tedder had hog-tied her and shot her with a pellet gun, and that she had cried from the pain, court documents say.
The grandmother took the little girl to Providence Hospital in Everett, where she was examined. Her grandmother and hospital staff counted more than 36 marks on the little girl's body.
The girl told detectives that Tedder became angry when she woke him up early, so he shot her with the pellet gun, according to documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
On another occasion, the girl said, Tedder tied her up after her room was messy and made her pick up her room with her teeth, court documents say.
An investigation discovered that Tedder owns an Airsoft AR-15 style rifle, and it's believed this was used to fire pellets at the girl.
According to court records, the girl was bound by the wrists and ankles as a form of punishment. While bound, she was shot multiple times with the pellet gun.
"Stetson knowingly inflicted bodily harm which by design caused pain as to the equivalent of that used by torture," a detective wrote in his probable cause report.
Court records also say Tedder admitted to detectives that he used duct tape to hog-tie the little girl as a form of punishment for up to 30 minutes.
"The suspect did admit to investigators he would use the hog tying, whether though zip ties, or duct tape as a form of punishment," said said Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton
The girl told police that her mom left the house when Tedder was shooting at her with the gun because "she doesn't want to hear her cry," court documents say.
The girl has since been taken into protective custody. Ireton said the 4-year old might not be the only victim in the case.
"I believe the sister had also been punished this way as well, and during the course of the investigation the victim reported her sister had been shot at with a BB gun by the suspect for waking him up too early," she said.
May the creeps and thugs in prison show him the same mercy he does to a little girl.
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what is going to happen to the child's mother for her part in this? I hope all her kids are removed and she is not allowed to have anymore. I think she should be put in jail too. Please follow this story closely, from start to finish. People are sick of degenerates breeding and abusing their kids. If we put more pressure on the system by using the news maybe the system will take this stuff more seriously eventually.
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The mom sounds like a real winner.Â
I THINK this guy is in the Air Force...
Lets tie him up, and shoot him with a real pellet gun...ones that will penetrate about 1/4 inch..see what he thinks of that... Or better yet... just beat the hell out of him...
There is no excuse for this kind of behavior.. If you are going to use physical such as a spanking, I don't have a problem with that.. this other stuff, is abuse.. and the mother is no better... Leaves, and doesn't protect her children..
 @Mr. H At about 1200fps some pellet guns are deadly as they have enough
velocity to reach and damage vital organs.
 I know that the idea of using such a pellet gun on him is as tempting to others as it
is to me, but alas it is up to the courts to dole out his punishment.
If found guilty then let us hope that the courts find a way to adequately punish this
fool. If not, then perhaps his fellow inmates will find a way to dole out some real
justice.
 @pete1427  @Mr. H I am going to donate some book money to any inmate that "doles out Justice". This child is 4 years old!?! I hope he does the world a favor and shoots his self in the face. POS
 @pete1427  @Mr. H While this guy is evil, your reaching a bit. The article stated he used an airsoft gun which is actually designed to shoot people in play. While you can shoot someones eye out, it is in no way going to do damage to the human body.Â
 @snow surfer Bruises do in fact prove that the Airsoft gun
does do damage to the body. A bruise indicates that blood
vessels have actually ruptured and that there is probably damaged
tissue under, and around the bruise. The bruises to her young body
will, in time, heal, but the psychological damage done by this will
probably be with her for rest of her life.
Â
The article states that "the pain inflicted on the girl was the equivalent
of that produced by torture."Â That type of mental anguish does not
simply go away simply because the body heals.
Â
The damage that he has done, and the mother had allowed to
happen is almost guaranteed to be permanent.
Â
To those that think my desire for jail house justice is cruel, how
would you react if this was your daughter(s)?
Â
Fortunately, this did not happen to my child when she was young
because if it had happened the perpetrator would never see the
inside of a courtroom. She is now a young lady that is capable
of defending herself.
I would not have used a gun as my martial arts training would
have more than adequate to take care of the problem. The perp
would have learned first hand what real pain is and would never
have the opportunity to inflict to inflict pain on a helpless child
again.
Â
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 @snow surferI simply said it was tempting. I stated that the
courts and, if convicted, his fellow inmates could dole out the
punishment.
Â
The psychological harm that has been done to this youngster, and
possibly another young girl will be with them for the rest of their
lives. That is long after all of the bruises have healed .
Â
For the mother to allow such treatment of her child(children?)
is a crime itself. I am sure that the courts will address that
issue too.
One can only hope that the victim(s?) end up placed in a home
where real and actual love abounds.
Cast him to the sodomites and inform each and every one of them of exactly what he did and as for mom, send her to the worst hell hole the state can find. If that little girl were a member of my family, there would be no trial.
Burn him.
The mother knew he was doing this and left the home so she wouldn't hear her cry? She is worse than the monster who did it. Charge them both.
This mutt needs to be hung from a tree by his sack and treated like a pinata!!!
I looked up the arrest record and it looks like this person spent 24 hours and 2 minutes in jail. I couldn't find his wife's information. Go to Snohomish County Daily Release Register. There you have it - what is wrong with our criminal system.Â


 @NWGrown Infuriating.
So what happen to the wife Michelle? I did a search and can't find a record for her? I even used what I believe is her maiden name.Â
This article is all wrong: It refers to this piece of trash as a "man". No "man" would do this to any child. The mother is a real winner too. I'm sorry for the little girl who has worthless parents. Maybe she'll be taken away and end up in a place where she is cared about!
BASTARD!! And mom just left the apartment? WTF?
Bikes hate people who hurt kids. I think we could get a local motorcycle club to hog-tie Ted behind a big Harley and take him for a few spins around the block.
I would like it if both these parents were not to see any of the children again. I do have to ask I hope the real father is in the picture and able to help get this mess cleaned up. I know a lot of men are sometimes push out in divorces. And sometimes don't try to get back involved due to huge demands of the mother or something. But I hope things get turned around and these kids get past the abuse they had to suffer. And I hope this state does not try to give these child abusers a free pass.
As a survivor of extreme child abuse I am, of course, sickened by the story. Â Adults who hurt children are little more than bullies, aka, cowards. Â Rather than take on someone their own size, they opt for feeling powerful by hurting someone unable to defend themselves. Â But, the fact that the mother not only knew about the abuse and allowed it, but worse, left her child in the hands of someone like this is incomprehensible to me. Â I thought long and hard before having a child. Â And then, and only then, did I make the commitment of being a parent. Â Because with background I was scared. Â But, I also knew that it was exactly that, a commitment to the idea that for the next 18 years, minimum, my life was now on the backburner. Â If I could not give 180% to this child, including being willing to die for her if it became necessary, than in my eyes I had no business having her. Â The idea of standing by while someone else hurt her is unfathomable to me. Â But, my real concern if for this child (children) that were being abused. Â Abuse leaves horrible scars. Â Emotionally, mentally, spirtually and, of course, often physically. Â I pray these children find a resource that will help them understand it was not their fault, they did not deserve such treatment and the best way to to get past it is to find a way to believe these two things, Â IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT AND YOU DID NOT DESERVE TO BE TREATED THAT WAY NO MATTER WHAT YOU DID! Â I will pray for these girls, as I do for all children being abused., that they find the necessary means to not let this ruin the rest of their lives. Â Â
I don't think I have sufficient words to express my anger and disgust with both the monster who did the torturing of the girl and her idiot mother. They should both be in jail forever. Oh...jail if they survive being tied up and shot with real bullets.
I don't think the mother or stepfather deserve to get a pass by any means and I do hope both are arrested and do time for this, but I really have to wonder about some of the comments on this article. By asking for these two to get the crap beat out of them or put with the 'general population' where they'll be 'taken care of'... how does that make you folks any better? You don't answer violence with violence and continue the pattern over and over again. This is why we have gun massacres every week and the like. EVERYONE is violent. Even the people who supposedly abhor the original crime here. People advocating vigilante justice, rape of prison inmates, etc. Please look inwards.
 @DebbieKat Just ask yourself what you would do if this were your child
and be honest with yourself about you would react and feel.
Â
I ask myself that question and determined that if a person had tortured my child
when she was that young, they would never have the opportunity to ever harm
another child. Decades of martial arts training precludes the need to use a
type of firearm to address this type of issue.
Â
A little jailhouse justice would seem to be pale compared his fate if this would
have been my child.
Â
My daughter is now a young lady that is totally capable of defending herself, with
or without a gun. I, along with training at a local do-jo, and time on the firing range
have done all that we can to insure that she can take of herself.
 @DebbieKat My initial statement should have been ' Just ask yourself
what would you do if this were your child and be honest with yourself about
HOW you would react and feel.Â
The emphasis on the word I missed in my statement is in capitol letters, and is
not meant to be shouting.
 @DebbieKat I believe it speaks to peoples' frustration at the fact that we rarely read of an appropriate sentence being given to criminals, and the fact that many, if not most, times we read stories like this, it turns out the person has already got a long rap sheet, has already committed similar crimes, and has been let out to do it again and again. People have given up on justice and hope for something to take it's place. When the victims are innocent children, it is especially frustrating. It's sad. But what it points to is, we need a overhaul of our justice system.
 @DebbieKat Maybe if we just give them a "Time Out" they will think about what they did, and never do it again!  Well it's that liberal train of thought that made our kids, both small and grown up, what they are today. They said spanking kids taught them violence. Well society stopped spanking many years ago because it was no longer politically correct, and our kids are more violent then ever. It's time liberals faced up to the fact that they are wrong!! Kids need to be taught limits, they need to be taught morals and right from wrong. Otherwise, people like this man and woman are the result.
 @DebbieKatÂ
By all means lets give them a group hug and send them home with those children again. Soon the children will be in prison too.
we need to get these gun toting idiots off the earth!! /Â NO SARCASM!
the mother walked away? can i hear Stockholm Syndrome whispering in the room here?
 @Nancy Smith No excuses for her. A mother who does not protect her child is the lowest of the low.
We must get these assault pellet guns off the streets!</sarcasm>
This story makes me sick! The mother makes me more sick! Allowing someone to torture your baby girl??? She needs time to sit in jail and think about her daughter. And the boyfriend? I really wish we had capital punishment! He needs a taste of his own method of punishment for years, not days or months...WA State! Â
I am having an issue just the opposite with nearby school children throwing large rocks attempting to break the windows of my house for the past several months.The reason that they have not been successful is that I have an outside screen protecting my windows.However the rock throwing is extremely annoying.
I've had to resort to purchase window shutters which are in the process of being delivered.These "children" have even made burglary, destruction of property threats against me too verbally.They are unsupervised and cause trouble at night time.
My friend suggested an airsoft rifle but I was against it for the reason of being charged with assault of a child in which case I'd be in jail and the thug kids with criminal glee would destroy,burglarize and loot my house.I'd lose everything in that case.
What's more of a problem is that it has been difficult to find out where these children live as they flee to large multiple apartment complexes down the street.However I have numerous videos and now HD webcam videos of them during their vandal acts.I've even filed a police report.They have their other school friends involved as well in attacking me.There are several positive things.I know where they go to school at.Again I have lots of videos of them too.
One mistake of theirs is that they had their mother drive them to the  stop where the school bus picks them up.and now I have a video of this black newer SUV and even partial plate numbers/letters.Now I need to scout around those complexes to identify that big newer SUV and discover exactly where they live.It's really a stalking, harassment,vandal issue.I'll likely have to file a lawsuit against the parents for their kids harassment.
Â
 @m9078jk3 the camera is your best weapon here, its painless, at least until the images get to the police station. or put up one of those video cams THAT CANT BE SEEN BY THESE BRATS and catch them in the act, make copys of the video for school, police, lawyers and yourself.Â
Â
anytime you challenge these types of people, that just adds fuel to their excitement, as they feel they are 'confronting the system that has them oppressed!!"  yea, right, they are just ignorant young people being gang trained and used by their own kind, surely to take the same criminal path as the ones they learn from.Â
Â
it's sad really, they could all be useful society members if they grew up normal.
 @Nancy Smith Well I agree and I have quite a few videos (now HD ones too).
Another thing that has helped is that I had some fruit tree netting and have placed it so the rocks just bounce off of it in one area.I am going to have to get more netting to cover other areas especially from the side of my house that faces an alley and get some flag poles to prop them up..One idea that I thought of was just to bombard the area around my house with very powerful annoying ultrasonic sounds that only children or young adults can hear.It  (above 17.4 Khz to say 20 Khz.It would use an array of piezo tweeters with a 1,000 watt amplifier.
I could turn this on or off at will.The drawback to this is that it would drive nearby cats and dogs crazy.
Â
 @m9078jk3  Your videos alone should be enough to bring
these young brats into line. Give copies to the school, the police
department and absolutely to the parents notifying them that the
school, and the PD have copies of the videos. If that does not
stop these brats, then it is time to bring the legal eagles to use
and press a lawsuit against the parents. The videos should be
enough to insure that you win in court and the brats will leave you
alone after you file and win the lawsuit. It might just take a lawsuit
to make the parents realize just what brats they are raising..
Â
The use of super tweeters is not realistic as sounds at those
frequencies are not actually heard as much as felt. If one
were to pulse those high frequencies it just might work.
Overall that solution is iffy at best.
Â
With age we lose the ability to hear, or feel those higher
frequencies. I have a high end sound system that had
allowed me to hear the full audio spectrum, but now at
age 68 I miss the high end harmonics that made me feel like
I was actually in the concert hall.
Working around jets, engine rooms in ships and other high
noise environments plus my time on the gun ranges has
totally robbed me of the sounds above about 15khz..
Even some sounds above 12khz are somewhat attenuated.
 @m9078jk3 Garfield HS?Â
 @lakeview No,surprisingly they are elementary school children from Reed Elementary in Tacoma ages 6 to around 10.some of them talk the gang thug speak too probably just like daddy.
Jesus H. Christ women, I am now officially begging you. Stop worrying about your stupid lovelives and boyfriends and start worrying about your god.... kids for chrissakes! You made the decision to bring them into this world, START PUTTING THEM FIRST
I almost cried with laughter when the article had to say "Tedder owns an Airsoft AR-15 style rifle." Just shows how biased komo is for the liberal agenda.Â
@Skeetball I think they described the rifle that way b/c is resembles the real thing? Writing should be well done enough to give the reader a visual. I think KOMO was justified in doing just that. Quit using this as your forum to support guns. Take it somewhere else. I would think you'd have some feelings for the little girl who was a victim of this sick "macho" man.
 @Koawoodplayer He can support guns anywhere he pleases. Don't like it? Don't read his posts. Sorry people don't behave the way YOU feel they should.
Of course the mom should be prosecuted. As a mother of two I cannot understand how anyone woman could allow anyone to harm any child . . not just our own.  Standing by and ignoring awful behavior should be punishable
 @redmonite Absolutely, and not only did she just stand by, but she left! I'm sure they will find he's done many more horrible things to that child besides just the ones mentioned in the article.
Ban Airsoft guns!
Talk about the perfect candidate to be put into the general prison population...
The idiot mother is just as much to blame. I hope the young girl is old enough to remember that her own mother turned her back on her.Â
I do not understand how the mother would even allow this to happen to her kids. I would be out the door with my kids in a split second if I ever thought they were getting abused.Â
What if someone started a group funded by anonymous donors to handle issues such as this one? The group posts his/her bail, scum is released and the group would then find them dealing the justice they deserve. Justice could truly be served to these low life, cowardly, hiding behind the system people. It seems that our justice system needs to deal a harsher blow for these hanious crimes to children. The children can't protect themselves and the courts aren't doing enough to protect them as well. If criminals know they can't be protected once they leave jail, they'll think twice and always be looking over thier shoulder. Criminals breed criminals, plain and simple. Jail is not the answer. Harsh punishment is and for the mother as well. I did a quick Google search on this guy. Read the comments on social media sites the mother has posted in the past. She's a real gem, just like her man. I hope when they go to court someone brings this into the picture. Public information is free, easy to find folks and really paints a picture of someone. The child molestor in Marysville that was found dead? Was justice finally served by a past victim that felt he didn't do his time for the crime? Karma might just be the best weapon around. Judge and JuryProtected by the First Ammendment..
 @Judge and jury That is a great idea. Clearly our government continues to let us down and just as cleary, it isn't getting any better. Vigilante justice may not be the answer in everyones eyes, but if this were one of my kids that this happened to, this guy wouldn't have even made it to jail.
Â
If you were speeding down the highway at 100 mph, and every time you got pulled over you more or less just got a warning, you would probaby keep doing it. If this happened, they would get the big ticket and maybe slow down.
 @JeffyJoeBob  @Judge  if you were speeding and got rammed off into the thickets on the side of the road permanently, that may be far more effective than a simple FINE!   the system gets rich off the continued infractions, its doesnt really change anyones behavior.
@Judge and jury And you will promptly be arrested and prosecuted Einstein.