A Washington man is behind bars after he allegedly raped and killed his own sister, according to the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The Seattle Times reports that the incident happened at a home off of Northwest Indian Ridge Drive in Kitsap County. Police responded to a call over the weekend and found an unresponsive woman inside.
Upon arrival, deputies saw Michael A. Battersby, 51, performing CPR on the woman, identified as his 61-year-old sister, Diana Schuler. The man told police they shared the home together.
According to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Shuler was pronounced dead at the scene. Battersby claimed he found Schuler submerged in water in a bathtub and called 911. He allegedly added that he left home at around 4:20 p.m. to run errands, and when he returned a little after 6 p.m., he found his sister in the bathtub.
Investigators initially thought the victim passed away from natural causes. Yet, when they went to her bedroom to retrieve medication, they noticed an instant message on her computer screen. The victim managed to confide in someone that her own brother had raped her and left bruises all over her.
“Because of these messages detectives were requested to respond for additional assistance,” a Kitsap County sheriff’s office detective noted, the Kitsap Sun reports.
The Kitsap County Coroner’s Office determined that the victim had been strangled and drowned. She also had a blunt force injury on her head and injuries caused by forcible sex.
When questioned, the suspect told investigators that he had been up drinking with his sister on Saturday night, when they began playing “playing patty cake at ‘full force.'” He claimed they often missed each other’s hands, resulting in the bruising on the victim’s arms.
Battersby claimed that his sister was so drunk that she passed out, according to police. He said he pulled her by the arms to her room, causing additional unintentional injuries.
When investigators informed Battersby that his sister’s death was being investigated as a homicide, he stopped talking and asked for a lawyer.
Police arrested Battersby and charged him with first-degree domestic violence murder and second-degree domestic violence rape. He remains behind bars at the Kitsap County Jail on a $1 million bond.
A mugshot of the suspect is not yet available. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Flickr/Creative Commons]
