Man charged with murder in girlfriend's beating death
TACOMA, Wash. -- A man who allegedly beat his girlfriend so severely that she eventually died from her injuries has been charged with murder.
William B. Selley, 41, was initially charged with assault for allegedly attacking Kathryn Southward, but prosecutors increased the charge to murder following the death of the 29-year-old woman.
"October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and this murderous assault unfortunately highlights the need to continue our efforts to hold abusers accountable and to prevent domestic violence," Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said in a news release.
Prosecutors said Southward had three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken bone in her neck, internal organ damage and bruises all over her body when she was taken to Tacoma General Hospital on September 26.
Selley told investigators that Southward was hurt in a fall, but at the hospital Southward told a detective Selley had beaten her. Her family also told investigators that Selley had a history of abusing Southward.
Officials said Southward was left injured on a couch in Selley's home for three days before he finally called 911. He allegedly told investigators that he did not take her to a hospital sooner because they had no medical insurance.
Southward died October 5 and an autopsy determined that her death was caused by blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen.
Selley is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charge Monday afternoon.
William B. Selley, 41, was initially charged with assault for allegedly attacking Kathryn Southward, but prosecutors increased the charge to murder following the death of the 29-year-old woman.
"October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and this murderous assault unfortunately highlights the need to continue our efforts to hold abusers accountable and to prevent domestic violence," Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said in a news release.
Prosecutors said Southward had three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken bone in her neck, internal organ damage and bruises all over her body when she was taken to Tacoma General Hospital on September 26.
Selley told investigators that Southward was hurt in a fall, but at the hospital Southward told a detective Selley had beaten her. Her family also told investigators that Selley had a history of abusing Southward.
Officials said Southward was left injured on a couch in Selley's home for three days before he finally called 911. He allegedly told investigators that he did not take her to a hospital sooner because they had no medical insurance.
Southward died October 5 and an autopsy determined that her death was caused by blunt force trauma to the chest and abdomen.
Selley is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charge Monday afternoon.
Hope you rot in prison you murderer! Abusers and killers like this man don't deserve to live a life. This man should never EVER get to see the light of day again. I hope he gets to know what it feels like to be abused.
What a guy! She probably tried to leave him. His likely mind set... If I can't have you nobody can!
Monster.
Needs to be fixed so he can never hurt again.
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I went to school with 'Barry'. He was unkind and superior then. I feel awful for what he did to this woman. He is a trust-fund brat who thinks his life is more important than others. Money won't buy your way out of this one...you'll burn for this, one way or another. Prayers to the victim's family.
 @misterg123 He apparently didn't get very far after school, did he.
I went to school with 'Barry'...he was unkind then. I feel awful for what happened to this woman. He is a trust-fund brat who will try to buy his way out of murder...you'll burn for this, one way or another you entitled jerk.
Not too much more to say here other than how sad this really is. Evil monsters live among us. Ladies......please, don't take them as boyfriends.
DV sentences need to be a lot longer BEFORE things get this bad with a suspect.Â
Why did she stay with him?
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 @caphillkid Are you really having trouble understanding why she might have stayed with him?  This is not a new phenomenon.  I had an abusive husband who I stayed with 2 years longer than I wanted to because I knew the violence would escalate if I left (it did, but I survived).  Often the woman is paralyzed with fear and is just trying to placate her abuser so she can live another day.
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He is a beast for beating her, and a monster for leaving her to suffer for 3 days before getting her any help. Unbelievable how inhuman some people are.
Murder is Murder, I hope this creep gets LIFE. Â Then he can take his anger problem up with BUBBA.Â
REAL men don't hit women. Period. I hope this guy gets a beatdown EVERY SINGLE DAY in prison. There is NO human being worth putting up with physical or mental abuse for. This goes for guys as well, as there are abusive women out there too. If things are so bad between the two of you that it escalates to physical abuse.......walk away and find someone who makes you happy. It's something I did over 10 years ago, and I've never looked back.
The dynamics involved in getting a grown woman out of a relationship with a monster are nearly insurmountable.
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It's possible a small round hole between the eyebrows could be the most effective remedy, almost guarantees complete "rehabilitation."Â
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All of your posts (below as well) are definitely head-scratchers. Might want to give the laptop back to a grown-up now.
 alot of woman dont put up with it , they just cant get away or cant keep the abuser away. most women are blind sided by the abuser. homes are made with glass windows if they want you, they will get you. RIP and its harder to get a restraining order then you think .the courts would be full of them i was told.
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@Larry*X*K A lot of the victims have such low self esteem they don't see themselves as worthy of anything else. The abusers have emotionally beaten them as well & the victims are brainwashed into thinking either they deserve it or they'll never find anything better. Leaving is extremely difficult.
It takes LOTS of counseling & time to get out of that mindset, after the victim has successfully managed to leave. And the family can't force it on them ... they have to WANT it for themselves.
This man should be beaten to death. Men who kill women and children deserve no mercy.
If you are in an abusive relationship get out. Don't wait until it's too late. If someone beats you up once, he/she will do it again, just a little more angry the next time, and so on.
Ok, her own family knew there was a history of abusing her? Wtf! If i had a family member who had a history of being abused by someone, I would probably be in jail for assault or even worse to the person abusing them, that person would have been in jail for abuse, or charges filed, and the family member would not be living with them. At the very least there should have been a protection order against this guy
@northwestsurfer Unfortunately, if she is a grown adult, no one except her can decide whether she stays with her abuser or not. Unless you have absolute proof of the abuse (that doesn't require the victim to show bruises or something), there is little that anyone else can do. And a protection order is simply a piece of paper that requires the abuser to respect the law & it also requires the victim to be willing to file for it (& follow it herself).
@katiemcc devil's advocate?
@Content_People @northwestsurfer Unfortunately, yes. Except I left & the physical wounds healed.
@ northwestsurfer re katiemcc voice of experience
What a shame. Â And as said, this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Â Too bad this woman has become yet another poster child for this cause. Â I wonder what this guy's "history" could tell us about him. Â What his history with her was. Â How many women needlessly are hurt or worse because they feel they can't or don't get out? Â What a shame.
That poor girl. Three days of utter suffering. She may have lived had she gotten help. I hope that Mr. Tough Guy gets to room with guys that are REALLY tough guys.Â
<3 you Kate.
@Heather Paul
haha Heather Colett Mess...This is Erin Shenanigans....Nice try but FAIL. You too C Dance.
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Left lying on a couch for 3 days in that condition! My heart goes out to family and friends. I hope his punishment is as bad as it can be made to be.
My heart goes out to Kathryn and her family. I pray that William Selley is beaten as severly in prison.
@Michelle If Kate were my daughter that P.O.S. Selley wouldn't even make it to prison.
 @northwestsurfer @maesmaze So are we all supposed to take that as "Shelley" ? LOL. Hows the mod squad doing these days? Hows Annie? Oh, is she good?
Not for long...
 @ErinShenangins  @northwestsurfer  @maesmaze ??
@ErinShenangins I have absolutely no idea what you just said
@maesmaze Agreed. I would have gone to prison before him for reciprocating his treatment to her back to him