State v. Wanrow
Supreme Court of Washington
88 Wash.2d 221, 559 P.2d 548 (1977)
- Written by Sara Rhee, JD
Facts
On August 11, 1972, Wanrow (defendant) left her son with her friend, Hooper. While playing in Hooper’s neighborhood, the son was nearly abducted by a neighbor, Wesler. Hooper learned that day that Wesler was suspected of previously attempting to molest a young boy, and Hooper suspected Wesler had also molested her daughter. She asked police to arrest him but they stated that they could not take action until after the weekend. That night, Hooper invited Wanrow, Wanrow’s sister, and Wanrow’s brother-in-law to spend the night because she did not feel safe. During the night, Wanrow’s brother-in-law went to Wesler’s house to confront him. Wesler suggested they go back to Hooper’s house and settle everything. The brother-in-law remained outside while Wesler entered Hooper’s home. Wesler was a 6’2” man and was intoxicated when he entered the home. He was told to leave but he refused. Wanrow went outside to get her brother-in-law’s help. Upon turning around to go back inside, she was startled to find that Wesler was standing directly behind her and she shot him. At the time, Wanrow was a 5’4” woman with a broken leg.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Utter, J.)
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