CLARE L SHELSWELL - 5 yo (2010) Hoodsport (SW of Bremerton) WA

Hoodsport WA ---- Authorities have detained a father as a person of
interest in the knife-attack death of his 5-year-old daughter in Hoodsport.



Mason County Sheriff Chief Deputy Dean Byrd says the child's body was found
around 6 p.m. Sunday with her throat slashed after
someone in the house called 911.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the attack
or what led deputies to detain the girl's father.
Officers have cordoned off the home in the 200 block of North Mt.
Seattle Way near Lake Cushman while they investigate.
Names of the people involved have not been released and no other
details are available at this time.

Peter James Wilson, 29, of Abbotsford is scheduled to appear in court
Monday after his stepdaughter died after having her throat slit
Sunday at a holiday home in Hoodsport, near Lake Cushman, Washington.Mason
County Sheriff Chief Deputy Dean Byrd told reporters the girl's body
was found about 6:13 p.m. after someone in the house called 911.Investigators
say the man became upset with his daughter and took the knife to her
neck.The identity of the girl has not been released, although she
is reported to be from B.C. Other family members were found inside the
home, including the girl's nine-year-old sister, but were unharmed. Byrd said this is the worst crime he's seen in his long career with the
department."As a police officer and a representative of the
department, our heart goes out to the family members that have endured
this awful, horrific event."I mean, a five-year-old child, a
family member, how does a thing like that happen?" The home is in
the 200 block of North Mt. Seattle Way near Lake Cushman, a popular
camping and hiking destination located west of Seattle in the Olympic
Peninsula. Detectives say the B.C. family had only been staying
in the area for a few days before the girl's death. Authorities
said an autopsy is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday.

I sound like a broken record, but what the hell is wrong with these people? This is tragic and horrible.

The stepfather of a 5-year-old girl who died after her throat was
slashed with a knife has been ordered held on $3 million bail.
A Mason County Superior Court judge on Monday found probable cause to
hold 29-year-old Peter James Wilson. The Abbotsford, British Columbia,
man was jailed for investigation of first-degree murder.
Mason County sheriff's Chief Deputy Dean Byrd identified the little
girl as Clare L. Shelswell.
According to a probable cause statement, Wilson and his wife were
arguing about child discipline Sunday evening at a Hoodsport, Wash.,
house near Lake Cushman. He reportedly told his wife that he would "take
care of it."
Authorities say Wilson took the girl downstairs and his wife ran
after them when she heard screaming. Court documents say she found her
daughter in a pool of blood.
Wilson told sheriff's detectives he has bipolar disorder and was
taking medication.
The family was visiting from Abbotsford.

The stepfather of a 5-year-old girl who died after her
throat was slashed with a knife has been ordered held on $3 million
bail. A Mason County Superior Court judge on Monday found probable
cause to hold 29-year-old Peter James Wilson.

The Abbotsford, British Columbia, man was jailed for investigation of
first-degree murder. Mason County sheriff's Chief Deputy Dean Byrd
identified the little girl as Clare L. Shelswell.

According to a probable cause statement, Wilson and his wife were
arguing about child discipline Sunday evening at a Hoodsport, Wash.,
house near Lake Cushman. He reportedly told his wife that he would "take
care of it."

Authorities say Wilson took the girl downstairs and his wife ran after
them when she heard screaming. Court documents say she found her
daughter in a pool of blood.

Wilson told sheriff's detectives he has bipolar disorder and was taking
medication. He told them he knew when he was walking downstairs that he
was going to kill her.

The family was visiting from Abbotsford.

MOTHER'S FULL STATEMENT:

"This is without a doubt one of the hardest letters I have had to write,
because it is the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. I am
choosing to release this statement to the media, with my family's
blessing, in hopes that it will cease the garbage and lies that
circulates as 'fact' in the press.

My daughter Clare - and please note there is no 'i' in her name, at
least have the courtesy to spell it correctly - has indeed been killed
by Peter James Wilson. Anyone with a heart will be affected by this
story, especially due to the brutal way in which she died. My family
and I had less than 4 hours to reel from the events before it was making
headline news. My request now, is that we be left to mourn the loss of
our beloved daughter,
granddaughter, niece and sister, in peace.

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to all of the emergency personnel
that have been involved in helping us navigate this trauma.
God's richest blessings on you all for the amazing compassion and heart
you have shown to me and my family during this time. The family
gratefully accepts all offerings of prayer and love. Asking us how we
are doing is redundant and unhelpful - put yourself in our shoes and
give yourself an answer.

Funeral arrangements for our beautiful baby girl will be released only
to those who are invited to attend. There will be no public
announcement - don't ask. This is the only statement that will be
released by the family. We are not interested in making further comments."

The 29-year-old Abbotsford man imprisoned in Washington state after
allegedly fatally slashing his five-year-old stepdaughter’s throat is
not under suicide watch, Mason County Sheriff Chief Deputy Dean Byrd
said Tuesday.“Peter James Wilson is in an isolation cell,” Byrd
said. “He is fairly stoic and has made no comments about wanting to end
his life or anything like that, so we’ve no reason to put him on what we
call a suicide watch.”Meanwhile, investigators are probing
Wilson’s family life, Byrd said. The key issue of interest, Byrd
suggested, is whether the suspect committed a pattern of assault or
harassment crimes against his stepdaughter.If there is evidence
of such crimes, Washington state prosecutors could pursue an aggravated
first-degree murder charge in the case, which could lead to a death
sentence. “The investigation continues into looking at the
background and relationships of the suspect,” Byrd said. “We don’t have
any information on how the prosecution will proceed — it just depends on
what the investigation uncovers in the next few days.”Wilson,
who has dual Canadian-U.S. citizenship, and told police he suffers from
bipolar disorder, said he killed his stepdaughter, Clare Louise
Shelswell, by slashing her throat with a kitchen knife, according to a
police statement. He was arrested for first-degree murder Sunday
evening at a rented vacation home in Lake Cushman, west of Seattle.In
the 911 call, Sarah Wilson screams for an ambulance as she frantically
tries to save her daughter.“My daughter’s throat has just been
cut. I need you to come right now!”She later tells the operator
in the 23-minute call that, “My husband took a knife to her throat.”Although
it’s alleged both Wilson and his wife Sarah told police he is bipolar
(manic-depressive), Byrd said police won’t delve into Wilson’s medical
history unless his defence raises it as an issue.In an interview
with CBC, Clare’s biological father, James Shelswell, questioned the
mental health claims made by both Wilson and Sarah and said he hopes
Wilson “fries.”Wilson appeared in Mason County Superior Court inShelton,
Wash., on Monday, where his bail was set at $3 million. His next
scheduled court appearance is July 12, when he is expected to enter a
plea.On Tuesday, Wilson’s lawyer, Ronald Sergi, a public defender
appointed by the court, said he doesn’t think prosecutors will seek the
death sentence.“Aggravated first-degree murder is the [charge]
that would bring the death penalty into play, and I don’t think this
alleged crime fits that definition,” he said.Wilson’s dual
Canadian-U.S. citizenship seems to be a complicating factor on
death-penalty questions, and both Byrd and Sergi said they don’t have
clarity on the issue.In fact, Wilson’s case “is unprecedented
stuff,” said Mark Warren, a human rights and legal consultant, and an
expert on consular affairs and death-penalty issues. Warren said
Canadians facing the death penalty abroad can ask the federal government
to seek clemency intervention, but it’s not clear if the policy extends
to dual citizens. “[Wilson] should still at least be offered the
opportunity to be assisted by Canada, but . . . who’s to say? We’re in
uncharted waters.”Canadian government officials did not respond
to an interview request.Warren noted that Washington state
prosecutors have the final say on how to proceed, and mental health
could be a “mitigating circumstance” that would deter seeking of the
death penalty.

Dad of slain B.C. girl calls for death penalty



Last Updated:

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 | 5:55 PM PT CBC News


Five-year-old Clare Shelswell, of Abbotsford, B.C., was
killed in Washington. Her stepfather is in police custody in connection
with the slaying. (Facebook)

The
biological father of a five-year-old girl from Abbotsford, B.C., who was
killed in Washington says the person responsible should face the death
penalty.
Clare Shelswell's stepfather, Peter Wilson, is in police custody in
the city of Hoodsport, Wash., after her throat was slashed Sunday during
a family vacation at a rental property.
The girl's father, Jim Shelswell, who now lives in Calgary, told CBC
News he learned of his daughter's death Tuesday morning when his brother
called from Abbotsford.
"I couldn't believe it," Shelswell said. "I didn't think it was true.
I thought maybe it was the wrong person at first.
"I hope [the perpetrator] fries. The sooner the better," Shelswell
said.
He said he met Wilson, 29, on a couple of occasions.
Investigators in Washington on Tuesday released a 911 call from the
young victim's mother, Sarah Wilson.
"Ma'am, you need to tell me what's happening," the 911 operator told
Wilson, who was screaming.
"Send an ambulance," Wilson shouts. "My daughter's throat has just
been cut."
Peter Wilson is being held on $3 million bail and has not been
charged.
Prosecutors said it's too early to tell what charge might be laid
against Wilson and whether they will seek the death penalty, which is a
prosecutorial option in Washington.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/06/29/bc-clare-shelswell-homicide-father.html#ixzz0sJYRR9eC

The last time James Shelswell saw his daughter Clare was two years
ago in Vancouver.Clare, Shelswell and his other daughter
Suzanna, who was six at the time, had gone to the Vancouver Aquarium,
followed by a trip to McDonald's.“The kids were having a
great time,” Shelswell, 48, told The Vancouver Sun from his Calgary home
Tuesday night. “We saw all the fish and goofed around. Even the lady at
McDonald’s commented, ‘Jeez, you’ve got good kids.’”That
visit was only the fifth in five years, Shelswell said, after his wife
Sarah Wilson divorced him and moved to Abbotsford from Calgary with the
girls, limiting his visits.Clare was only four months old
at the time.“Every time I phoned, it was a big hassle to
see them,” he said. “I just kept paying everything. It burns me; it just
burns me. You’re paying all this money and you can’t see your kids. I
should have hired a lawyer, but I’ve only got so much money.”Clare
died over the weekend while vacationing with family at Lake Cushman in
Washington state, about 200 kilometres south of Vancouver.Her
stepfather, Peter James Wilson, 29, was arrested Sunday evening in
Hoodsport, Wash., on the Olympic Peninsula after police arrived at a
two-story rented vacation cabin to discover the little girl's throat
had been slashed.According to a statement released by the
Mason County Sheriff's Office, Wilson had told a detective he killed his
stepdaughter with a knife he found on the kitchen counter after
fighting with his wife about disciplining the children.Shelswell
said he found out about the grisly murder through his brother, who
learned of it from media reports and called him from his home in
Abbotsford at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.“[Sarah Wilson] didn’t
call me, the Americans didn’t call me. The last name of the kids is
Shelswell. They could have called me; I am the father,” he said angrily.Shelswell
had only met his ex-wife's new husband a couple times and did not know
about his bipolar disorder, or that he was on medication.Shelswell
said “death is too good” for Peter Wilson and hopes he “suffers for the
next 20 years.”“What goes around comes around, and I hope
it comes around. He should be made to suffer. Somebody who does that to
a five-year-old girl?”He is “devastated” he was not able
to protect Clare.“You’re not supposed to outlive your
kids,” he said, sobbing. “You’re supposed to be gone before them. That’s
the way it should be, you know? You’re 80, they’re 40.”

Peter James WILSON

Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Child killer - After having an argument with his wife about disciplining Clare
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder: June 27, 2010
Date of arrest: Same day
Date of birth: 1981
Victim profile: Clare Shelswell, 5 (his stepdaughter)
Method of murder: Cutting her throat
Location: Hoodsport, Mason County, Washington, USA
Status: Sentenced to 55 years in prison on October 21, 2010

B.C. man given 55 years in U.S. court for stepdaughter's murder

By Rochelle Baker - Abbotsford Times

October 22, 2010

B.C. man was sentenced to more than 55 years in a U.S. prison Friday for slashing the throat of his five-year-old stepdaughter while vacationing in Washington state over the summer.

Peter James Wilson, dressed in white prison-issue clothing, quietly listened to Mason County Superior Court Judge Toni Sheldon as she sentenced him to 640 months in prison, with an additional 24 months for use of a deadly weapon in the slaying of Clare Shelswell.

The judge outlined the reasons for Wilson's "exceptional sentence," citing Clare's vulnerability, the stepfather's abuse of trust and the destructive nature of the crime for the family.

Wilson, 29, was arrested on June 27 after Mason County sheriffs found Clare lying dead in a pool of blood, her throat slit, at a holiday home in Hoodsport, Washington.

The little girl's body was discovered after police received a frantic 911 call from her mother, Sarah Wilson.

Wilson — who has both U.S. and Canadian citizenship — was arrested at the scene.

During her victim-impact statement, Sarah Wilson told an emotional courtroom about losing her young daughter, described as a bubbly, smart, loving, creative, vibrant five-year-old girl whose favourite food was pickles.

"Clare's death has been shocking and devastating beyond comprehension to me and my family," she said, noting her daughter would never celebrate her sixth birthday.

"I'll never get to take her dress shopping and she'll never attend her prom. I won't get to teach her how to drive. I will never see her off on her first date or help heal her heart with a bowl of ice-cream after her first breakup with a boyfriend."

Calling Clare's death "senseless," Sarah Wilson also described how the event had left her with nightmares, and how she and her older daughter, Suzy, have started counselling.

"The life and experiences that James has robbed from Clare, and the joy that he has taken from me and my family by ending her young life are irreplaceable."

At the time of Clare's death, U.S. officials said Wilson told officers he knowingly killed the little girl with a knife found in the kitchen after having an argument with his wife about disciplining Clare and her eight-year-old sister.

Ron Sergi, Wilson's defence attorney, said his client fully acknowledged his responsibility for the crime and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder with aggravating circumstances to spare his family the anguish of a trial.

"He apologized to his wife and family. He loved his family," Sergi said. "He lost control. He never saw this type of conduct coming; he was as surprised as anyone else by this . . . he asked for forgiveness, well aware he wasn't deserving of it."

Wilson, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, had anger issues; Sergi said the disorder was not deemed an adequate defence for the crime.

He also noted that had Wilson opted to go to trial on a charge of second-degree murder, the outcome likely would have been the same.

Sarah Wilson told the court no sentence could bring Clare back, or compensate for the family's devastation.

"All I can do is trust that the sentence James receives today will reflect the significant and devastating impact of his actions and our tremendous loss," she said.

Meanwhile, Clare's biological father, James Shelswell, said from his Calgary home Friday that he is focusing on his two remaining children during this tough time.

"That's keeping me going," he said, noting he has been given time off work since the homicide.

"Nothing can ever replace Clare," he said. "Hopefully, (Wilson) stays in there for 55 years or never gets out. At least he can sit there and think about what he did."

With files from Rafe Arnott and the Calgary Herald

B.C. stepdad pleads guilty to slashing 5-year-old's throat

By Rafe Arnott - Abbotsford Times

September 13, 2010

Peter James Wilson pleaded guilty in a Shelton, Wash., courtroom Monday to first-degree murder for slashing the throat of his five-year-old stepdaughter, Clare Shelswell.

Wilson, 29, of Abbotsford, B.C., appeared calm and lucid and answered all questions from the court, Mason County prosecutor Gary Burleson said.

The minimum sentence Wilson could receive is 22 years, but Burleson said he plans on seeking an "exceptional sentence" for Wilson because of the gruesome nature of the crime, the child's age and helplessness.

Ron Sergi, Wilson's defence attorney, said his client made the decision to plead guilty on all charges to spare his family the agony of going through a trial and reliving the tragedy.

Wilson was arrested June 27, after Mason County Sheriffs found Clare lying dead in a pool of blood, her throat slit, at a holiday home in Hoodsport, near Lake Cushman, Wash.

The little girl's body was discovered after police received a frantic 911 call from her mother, Sarah Wilson.

A news release from the sheriff's office stated Peter Wilson told a detective he knowingly killed the little girl with a knife he found on the kitchen counter after having an argument with his wife about disciplining Clare and her eight-year-old sister.

Death 'too good' for man accused of killing B.C. girl: Father

By Andrea Woo - The Vancouver Sun

June 30, 2010

VANCOUVER — The Canadian father of a little girl slain in Washington State over the weekend says "death is too good" for the man accused of slashing her throat.

"What goes around comes around, and I hope it comes around," said James Shelswell, father of Clare Louise Shelswell. "He should be made to suffer. Somebody who does that to a five-year-old girl?"

Clare was on holiday with her family in Hoodsport, Wash., when she was attacked.

Her stepfather, Peter James Wilson, 29, remains in a U.S. jail and is expected to face a first-degree murder charge in her death.

"You're not supposed to outlive your kids," said Shelswell, sobbing. The Vancouver Sun contacted him Tuesday at his home in Calgary.

"You're supposed to be gone before them. That's the way it should be, you know? You're 80, they're 40."

Police in Hoodsport said they arrived at the family's rented vacation home shortly after 6 p.m. Sunday to find Clare's body in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, her throat slashed with a kitchen knife.

A "stoic" Wilson was arrested at the scene, said police. He later confessed, according to a statement released by the Mason County Sheriff's Office.

The statement said that he killed the girl following a fight with his wife about disciplining Clare and her older sister.

The statement said Wilson told his wife "not to worry" and that he would "take care of things" before taking Clare downstairs. A short time later, the mother heard a scream and went downstairs where she found her daughter lying in the kitchen clutching her throat.

Shelswell, 48, said he last saw his daughter two years ago in Vancouver, during a family outing to the Vancouver Aquarium.

"The kids were having a great time," he said. "We saw all the fish and goofed around. Even the lady at McDonald's commented, 'Jeez, you've got good kids.' "

That visit was only the fifth in five years, Shelswell said, after his wife, Sarah Wilson, divorced him and moved to Abbotsford, B.C., from Calgary with the girls, limiting his visits.

"Every time I phoned, it was a big hassle to see them," he said. "I just kept paying everything. It burns me; it just burns me. You're paying all this money and you can't see your kids. I should have hired a lawyer, but I've only got so much money."

Shelswell said he found out about his daughter's murder through his brother, who learned of it from media reports and called him from his home in Abbotsford at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"(Her mother) didn't call me, the Americans didn't call me. The last name of the kids is Shelswell. They could have called me; I am the father," he said angrily.

Shelswell had only met his ex-wife's new husband a couple times and did not know about his bipolar disorder, or that he was on medication.

Wilson made his first appearance in a Washington court Monday where his bail was set at $3 million. He remained in jail on Tuesday.

Public defender Ron Sergi, who was assigned to the case, said the unusually high bail reflects the serious nature of the allegations.

He said Wilson, who has both Canadian and U.S. citizenship, could face the death penalty if convicted of the slaying.

With files from Darah Hansen




Peter James Wilson of Abbotsford, is seen during his arraingment in Mason County
Superior Court on July 12, 2010.





Hoodsport, Wash.. June 28, 2010 - Police investigate the murder of five-year-old Clare Shelswell of Abbotsford, allegedly murdered by her step father Peter James Wilson, while on vacation in Washington.






Five-year-old Clare Shelswell




http://murderpedia.org/male.W/w/wilson-peter-james.htm