Man accused of shooting girl with pellet gun has military past
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LYNNWOOD, Wash. - New information is coming to light about a man accused of hog-tying his 4-year-old stepdaughter and shooting her with a pellet gun.
The suspect, Stetson G. Tedder, 26, of Lynnwood bailed out of jail Saturday night after he was arrested Thursday on suspicion of second-degree assault on a child and unlawful imprisonment.
Court documents say the pain he inflicted on the girl was "the equivalent of that produced by torture."
Tedder's family now has confirmed to KOMO News that Tedder has a military past. He spent four years with the U.S. Air Force, and a photo taken in 2009 in South Carolina identifies a Stetson Tedder as a senior airman.
His relatives say they are shocked by the allegations of child abuse.
According to court documents, Tedder's 4-year-old stepdaughter was taken to the hospital on Jan. 13 after her grandmother noticed red marks all over her body - which at first she believed were chicken pox.
More than 36 red marks were found on the girl's body - but it turns out they weren't chicken pox.
Court documents go on to say the little girl told authorities that Tedder, on multiple occassions, would hog-tie her to a bed with zip ties and shoot her with a pellet gun as punishment.
Shari Ireton of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says investigators also believe that the little girl's sister was punished in the same way.
According to detectives, Tedder allegedly tortured his stepdaughter multiple times.
"They did find an AirSoft gun in the suspect's closet," says Ireton.
When questioned, investigators say, Tedder tried to blame the little girl's red marks on his son - but later changed his story.
"He did admit that he was the one who had used the gun to punish the child," says Ireton.
"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.
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.
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.
Child Protective Services has since removed all four children from the home. Tedder is scheduled to appear in court early this week.
The suspect, Stetson G. Tedder, 26, of Lynnwood bailed out of jail Saturday night after he was arrested Thursday on suspicion of second-degree assault on a child and unlawful imprisonment.
Court documents say the pain he inflicted on the girl was "the equivalent of that produced by torture."
Tedder's family now has confirmed to KOMO News that Tedder has a military past. He spent four years with the U.S. Air Force, and a photo taken in 2009 in South Carolina identifies a Stetson Tedder as a senior airman.
His relatives say they are shocked by the allegations of child abuse.
According to court documents, Tedder's 4-year-old stepdaughter was taken to the hospital on Jan. 13 after her grandmother noticed red marks all over her body - which at first she believed were chicken pox.
More than 36 red marks were found on the girl's body - but it turns out they weren't chicken pox.
 Stetson Tedder is seen in an Air Force uniform in this 2009 photo. |
Court documents go on to say the little girl told authorities that Tedder, on multiple occassions, would hog-tie her to a bed with zip ties and shoot her with a pellet gun as punishment.
Shari Ireton of the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office says investigators also believe that the little girl's sister was punished in the same way.
According to detectives, Tedder allegedly tortured his stepdaughter multiple times.
"They did find an AirSoft gun in the suspect's closet," says Ireton.
When questioned, investigators say, Tedder tried to blame the little girl's red marks on his son - but later changed his story.
"He did admit that he was the one who had used the gun to punish the child," says Ireton.
"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.
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.
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.
Child Protective Services has since removed all four children from the home. Tedder is scheduled to appear in court early this week.
I already chimed in on the initial report, but given how heated things have become, I would like to throw out my two cents here as well. I believe Komo is bringing up the issue of his military service because, as someone who is charged to protect our country and our people, it makes his crime against this child more heinous. I don't think they are claiming the military caused this, but rather it is shocking that someone who has served would do this.
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As a classmate of Tedder's (different grade but we shared a class), I would like to shed a little more light on why this might be significant. Tedder had a serious problem with authority. He circumvented the school's internet firewalls during class so he could watch pornography and play obscene games and then would openly mock the teacher that he was doing so. When he did do any work, he was constantly trying to cheat of mine. It made the class extremely uncomfortable, needless to say.
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Given his disposition, it begs the question, why did Tedder join the military? Maybe he thought to straighten himself out or perhaps he sought some thrill out of being in combat, or maybe he really did want to serve his country. I have my own inclinations, but I believe we'll need more information to get any definitive answers.
What's the big deal? so KOMO said he has a military background,  so what,  just because one jerk is associated with the military does not make all military look bad, christ, get a grip, you're trying to make something out of nothing, if you have any smarts at all, and quit following like sheep, you would know that just because some ass who just happened to be in the military and comitted a crime it is not a blemish on ALL military, past or present, if you don't like what KOMO says in their reports, and you have nothing but worthless crap to say about  the reporters, there's a simple solution................DON'T COME HERE AND READ THE NEWS............................THE "FAMILY" CONFIRMED TO KOMO HE HAS A MILITARY PAST AND ARE SHOCKED AT THE ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE, why should they be shocked? because the military has NO child abusers?
 @Sandman His military record-if relevant- should be in the body of the story. When you place it in the headline, the implication is that had something to do with the crime. It's called, "editorializing." See Journalism 101.
 @Getov Mylon Â
It has nothing to do with anything, so why make a big stink about it? your cute little "See Journalism 101" does not impress me nor makes you a "JOUNALIST" the whole issue is moot, like anything else, if you don't like what's on the menu at Jim-Bobs Burger joint DON"T  EAT THERE, if you don't like what KOMO has on the news menu, DON"T READ IT. and make stupid comments, So they (komo) put  he has a military PAST in the headline, if politically correct,  holier than thou, know it all's like you were to find out he was a former military person without KOMO printing it, you would be all up in komo's face for not printing the whole life story (including he was former military) on this low-life, so maybe you should stop reading crap into something that doesn't exist, and attend a class or two on reading comprehension 1. here's a little advice for you, you don't know everything, like you  want everyone on here to think, not all think the same as you and follow your every word as being gospel, except the SHEEP who hang on every word the great GETOV MYLON has spoken " When you place it in the headline the implication is it had something to do with the crime",  that is not how it  sounded to me.
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AN EMPTY VESSEL MAKES THE GREATEST SOUND.
 @Getov MylonÂ
Question: Does your name this month mean, Get-Off-My-Lawn?
 @Getov Mylon Â
Ya know, you are so full of yourself, how many more names are you going to use to spew your ignorant babble? I did not prove your point, I proved mine, my reference to your greatness, has NOTHING to do with you being great, Â on the contrary, it is a more polite way of expressing to you, how utterly pompous you really are, so, FYI, that was not a compliment, of course I expected you to take it that way, most self-absorbed know-it alls always do, so in closing, I will say it again..
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IF YOU DON'T LIKE HOW KOMO PRINTS THE NEWS...... DON'T COME HERE..............DON'T READ IT......
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I'm sure there are other sites you can grace with your knowledge of "Journalism". and make your recommendations as to how it should read..
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You take care now...
 @Sandman If he was a current soldier, the headline, "JBLM Soldier  Accused of Shooting Pellet Gun At Girl" would be OK.  It's a subtle but crucial difference when the phrase, "...has a military past.' is used.
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My recommendation?
"Lynnwood Man Accused Of Shooting Pellet Gun At Four-Year-Old Step-Daughter"
 @Sandman "...the great GETOV MYLON has spoken."
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I would have capitalized "great."
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Thanks though, for (verbosely) making my point for me, i.e.,"that is not how it  sounded to me." If it doesn't SOUND like it is relating the (alleged) crime to his military past, it should not be a headline.
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Signed,
The Great Getov Mylon
(Former Editor of the Brand X High School Newspaper)
If the mom knew, she needs to be prosecuted as well. No excuse.
@Anarchy Seriously. If she "she doesn't want to hear her cry" then maybe she should stop the abuse instead of just leaving the house.
@Table9 Agreed. If a mother knows her children are being abused and does nothing, she is no better than the scumbag doing the abusing.
Not easy to determine whether KOMO is trying to make this guy look worse or better by mentioning his military service. Are they trying to blame what he did on PTSD? The military had nothing to do with this guy shooting somebody with a pellet gun. I'm a veteran and I've owned pellet guns. I learned at a very young age never to point any kind of gun at anyone, many years before I entered the service. This guy has a mental problem that has nothing to do with guns or the military.
he's such a big strong man (not) - he tried to blame his own son?  coward.  glad all the kids were taken away from these two (questionable) parents.
What does his 4 years in the military have to do with anything ? Does the military encourage or endorse using air rifles on kids ? Of course not.
You may as well made this headline:
" Man accused of shooting girls with pellet gun has eaten bread in the past."
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Well, I've done a little research, and what I've discovered should make anyone think twice....
More than 98 percent of convicted felons are bread eaters. Fully HALF of all children who grow up in bread-consuming households score below average on standardized tests. In the 18th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 50 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, yellow fever and influenza ravaged whole nations. More than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread. Bread is made from a substance called "dough." It has been proven that as little as one pound of dough can be used to suffocate a mouse. The average American eats more bread than that in one month! Primitive tribal societies that have no bread exhibit a low occurrence of cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and osteoporosis. Bread has been proven to be addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water to eat begged for bread after only two days. Bread is often a "gateway" food item, leading the user to "harder" items such as butter, jelly, peanut butter and even cold cuts. Bread has been proven to absorb water. Since the human body is more than 90 percent water, it follows that eating bread could lead to your body being taken over by this absorptive food product, turning you into a soggy, gooey bread-pudding person. Newborn babies can choke on bread. Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit! That kind of heat can kill an adult in less than one minute. Most American bread eaters are utterly unable to distinguish between significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.Now that, is funny...LOL
"Troll" much KOMO?! What's next for most ridiculous headlines? "Child Abuser served in the armed forces in past life!"Â Â Sheesh!
He has children and step-children. Are these women sleeping with him brain-dead or what. Better to go it alone than make a mess of ones life with some loser. I guess the only thing we know he can do successfully is have sex.
The overwhelming numbers of returning military do NOT abuse anyone, let alone a small child.  so many suffer from PTSD and other non-visiablle wounds of war; but they do not behave like this. they are kind, loving and productive and we are blessed to have so many of them as our neighbors, co workers and friends.  if KOMO cannot establish a link between military service and crimes against humanity upon return to the states, they perhaps should consider NOT writing about past military service.
 @jennieb My brother is on his FOURTH overseas tod and while he's struggled with a temper and been divorced twice he has never to my knowledge abused any of his children. He's struggled with PTSD but not been abusive. I think to be honest his divorces have to do with deployments and the women strayed.Â
 @Kristina Raymond Fourth? I cant believe I live in a country that would even consider doing that to a human or an animal. One tour leaves an insurmountable scar on the soul that never, ever goes away. I am sorry for your brother and his hell he is enduring.
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It used to be in this country, you did one tour and the lucky ones died first.
What a horrible story! And, what a creep.
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And, what an odd way to report it - why put the emphasis on possible prior service in the Air Force? What are you implying that has to do with the story?
 @Suzy Que Exactly. What the *&^%$# has his prior military history got to do with him having abused his step-daughter? What---'he should have known better'? Like as though he's prior military, he 'should get a heavier punishment'? Yeah, you're right, KOMO---if he was just a 'standard civilian, that makes it more ok', right? Or, 'less heinous', right> Good God you gotta be kidding. Gee, KOMO----maybe you forgot that only about 12 years ago we had a friggin PRESIDENT who did the funky monkey with a White House intern, in the White House! Oh that's right, sorry, forgot--he's a Dem, so that makes his marital infidelity and then lying under oath about it 'less heinous', and he gets a pass, right?
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KOMO this 'sling more mud at the military' cr*p has gotta stop. What happened here has ZERO to do with his having previously served in the Air Force. Geez. Get off it.
 @Suzy Que Maybe because this sounds like a military tactic that's used in war or something? I'm pro military don't get me wrong. I'm the proud daughter and sister of career army men, but this amounts to torture and in war sometimes they use torture to get information to protect the larger population. Or maybe they're saying it to say he has knowledge and training in weaponry?
This comment has been deleted
 @Kim We were properly  punished (corporal punishment) when we misbehaved rightfully so and my father was a World War 2 combat veteran (aircraft commander/bomber pilot).
 @Kim Why was Kim's posts deleted?
What did he say that was wrong?
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Who the hell bailed this dirtbag out? And why the hell isn't anything being done with the mother? Better nail him to the wall! Never should've happened!
Tried to blame it on his son...this D-bag needs to be kept away from all children forever!
VERY informative update! We. as American citizens, need to understand that just because you served in the military, are currently or was a teacher or minister, law enforcement officer, judge or attorney, doctor or nurse, WHATEVER your choice as your so-called respectable career, you are subject to commit horrendous acts like this or even far worse than this! And YES, the mother is just as GUILTY as this piece of Fecal Matter! That poor child must have felt as helpless as the little African girl who was adopted and brought to this country and then being tortured to DEATH by the Boeing employee and his wife in Everett !! Â
Just from observation it seems like the upper middle class to rich kids go to college whereas the poor, lower middle class, family tradition (father, grandfather etc) or your typically lost/troubled child joins the military. I've only ever noticed a well to do child or already made young person (such as Tillman) join the military during the first years of the Iraq war over upset that the terrorists attacked the United States with airplanes. I have to think some of those young people returning from active duty were more than likely already disturbed going in and come out full blown crazy mo'fos. He should be put down, there is no room in our society for grown men torturing 4 year old children and that mother should lose her children for good and serve a prison sentence.
@Half-Baked Way off base. I spent 20 years in the army. There are all walks of life. From poor to troubled to rich. Some out of a sense of duty, others to gain experience; others to pay for college, and yes, rich ones who want to make it on their own or have been cut off by mom and dad. . There are so many I can't name them. This elitist idea that only the downtrodden join is wrong. You only heard about Tillman because his social status. This idea that we soldiers cannot control ourselves is BS. I have a scar that runs from my backbone to my belly button and PTSD to boot. The extent of my PTSD is night terrors and clostophobia at night (Got it under control). It effects everyone differently, I am just lucky. As for this POS, I hope he gets his due.
 @Half-Baked Generalize much?
I hope to meet you face-to-face someday Mr. Tedder. Â Alone. Â Just the two of us. Â In fact, I'll see what I can do to arrange a meeting. . . wait for me.
Just what the heck does him having served in the military have to do with this?! Â It makes about as much sense as a headline reading "Man accused of shooting girl with pellet gun has a drivers license."
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ohhh, I bet he went to high school too! Â Ergo, all high school students must eventually become child abusers?
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Mainstream media sensationalism.
Jamie Lynn! Who do you think you are? Jim Foreman????
I wrote to KOMO last night when I saw the news story and asked the same question" - What does his military past (that is made to sound evil they way they say "past", doesn't it?). The smirk on Jamie Lynn's face as if she solved the Lindburgh baby's kidnapping was something. You do not learn to shoot BB or pellet guns as a weapon in the military for Pete's sake.
 @Akahige Yet pneumatic guns were used very effectively in past military conflicts.Â
Like the 15 inch pneumatic guns with dynamite shells with 55 foot long barrels on the U.S.S. Vesuvius (1888) that were used very effectively in the Spanish American war to bombard Santiago,Cuba.Or the powerful air rifles that Lewis and Clark used on their expedition like the .Girandoni Air Rifle.They were used as Sniper weapons and more effective than muskets in European conflicts of the 18th century,
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"The Girandoni air rifle was an important first. It was the first repeating rifle of any kind to see military service. It was one of the first uses of atubular magazine. And, although it saw service for only 35 years, it predated and was more advanced in design and mechanical technology than the Henry rifle which arrived fifty years later." from Wikipedia.
 @m9078jk3  @Akahige You are kidding with this post, right? You are equating this technology as the link to this guy torturing his kid? Besides, the post you replied to discusses the use of BB guns, not the use of air.
What does a tour in the AirForce got to do with anything? That looks like a C&C or Logistics breast ensignia on his uniform. That means he was a rear area dude.
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Don't go making it sound like he's some kinda shell-shocked combat veteran. He's just some messed up dude that needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law -END OF STORY!!!!!!
 @KOMOdo-dragon Yes, as someone who knew him in high school stated in response to the initial article. He a was self-centered, egotistical rule-breaker back then too.
Reporter, please correct the pellet gun reference. If you need to understand the difference, go out and get a pellet gun, and an Airsoft gun. Shoot yourself in the left foot with one and the right foot with the other. Report your findings
 @really Does it really matter? Either way it was torture.Â
 @Iconoclast  @really Does life or death matter?
 @really The article was clear that the pellets did not even break the skin. Furthermore, you may have noticed that the little girl is alive.
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Yes, there is a difference between an Airsoft pellet/plastic round and a .17 air pellet. And given the situation, it doesn't really matter to the story.
 @really They are reporting them as "pellet guns" simply because the manufacturer calls their plastic BBs "pellets." They are just regurgitating the manufacturer's official info.Â
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Any boy older than 10 knows exactly what a pellet gun is, and these are not pellet guns.Â
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But hey, for KOMO, the manufacturer gets the last word. And the funny thing is that Airsoft probably calls them "pellets" for legal reasons, not because they feel it is an accurate description of their product.Â
My experience is that people go off to the military as children and come out as adults. If he had PTSD that might have been tangentially relevant, otherwise it's just taking a swipe at our veterans as a group. It doesn't even mention any battlefield service.Â
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 Is there a way to flag a story as offensive instead of a comment?
OH I thought he would have been a journalist or janitor or something, thank you so much for clarifying he was in the military! It is totally relevant to everything, it all makes sense now. (end sarcasm)
A letter I just sent to KOMO:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Man-accused-of-shooting-girl-with-pellet-gun-has-military-past-188588071.html As a veteran with an honorable discharge after 8 years in the Navy, I am deeply offended at the implication that Stetson G. Tedder  learned his behavior just because he was in the military. As the father of an honorably served Air Force daughter who was stationed at JBLM, I am doubly offended. It does not automatically follow that once in the military one becomes a whacked-out killer. Is it too much to hope that KOMO will print an apology for this story, and that Jamie Lynn will add her own apologies for her part in it? I know better than to hold my breath waiting, but it would be refreshing if it were to happen.
(signature)
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Feel free to send your own version to newsinquiries@komo4news.com
@Glassman I agree, but dont waste your time. KOMO will publish whatever they want at anyone else's expense. Nathan Wilson is KOMO's producer and threw me under the bus in order to get a story for KOMO's on air news. I asked not to air the content and he basically said eat a bag of dix and did it anyway.
 @northwestsurfer  @Glassman Funny you should mention that. Kevin Cotlove, KOMO's forum admin has a penchant for banning anyone from "his" forum who's opinion he doesn't like, so if I disappear after this comment, you will know I was censored. I know of a FEW people that I've actually met in person because of this forum that were banned because of their comments, or standing up for what they believed in while debating out of control "liberal trolls." Seems that the further left you lean here, the more "leaniency" you get from the admin. Just an observation.
@Harley-H.S.C. @Glassman I know who he is, that clown has banned me several times. I just keep coming back like cancer. Screw KOMO.
 @northwestsurfer  @Glassman  People need to wake up and realize what local news is...and isn't. Hint: it ain't respectable journalism. Look at all the ads everywhere.... These guys are a business, plain and simple. Go look at all the other Fisher websites. They are cookie cutter clones of this website and they run the same stories.Â
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Yes, be outraged, but also be realistic about what local news is.Â
 @Glassman I can understand why you guys are upset. I think putting the military info in the story is perfectly fine, but making it the focus of the headline is something else.Â
 Bing-go, lv.