By Phuong Le
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Police say a man killed his girlfriend, posted pictures of her body online with chilling descriptions of the slaying, and wrote that he wanted authorities to find him and kill him.
Amber Lynn Coplin’s body was found in a Port Orchard apartment hours after her teenage son heard her arguing with her live-in boyfriend, David Kalac. An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for Kalac, who is suspected of second-degree murder.
Deputy Scott Wilson with the Kitsap County sheriff’s office said detectives have confirmed that gruesome photos posted on a website are of the victim and the crime scene.
Authorities believe Kalac escaped in Coplin’s car and police about 160 miles away in Portland, Oregon, briefly chased him early Wednesday.
“He’s our primary suspect,” Wilson said Wednesday. “It stands to reason that in all likelihood he is the person who posted those photographs.”
Police say they found Coplin’s body in a bedroom. Near her head was her driver’s license with the word “dead” written on it. The words “bad news” were written on blinds. And the words “she killed me first” was written on a picture on the wall.
Coplin’s 13-year-old son told police that his mother and Kalac argued loudly Monday night, court records show. Witnesses also said they heard what sounded like a violent argument and loud thumping and banging noises coming from the apartment in the city west of Seattle.
The teen told police he thought his mom was sleeping in and Kalac was gone when he left the apartment Tuesday morning, according to court documents. Later that day he became worried that something was wrong and called his dad for help, Wilson said. That’s when Coplin’s body was found at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The boy’s father, who is Coplin’s estranged husband, called 911, Wilson said. The caller reported that Coplin’s face was bashed in, her car was missing and she was bloody and bruised, court documents show.
Kalac texted a friend from his cellphone on Tuesday morning telling the friend he would read about him in the news.
Wilson said at some point Kalac took Coplin’s car and made the three-hour drive to Portland where a police officer spotted the vehicle at about 1:15 a.m. Wednesday.
“In all likelihood he’s the driver but that’s not confirmed,” Wilson said. He added that investigators believe he is the sole suspect in Coplin’s death and they are not looking for any accomplices.
The officer tried to stop the driver early Wednesday but the car sped away. The chase was called off because the car was swerving into oncoming traffic.
Police are still looking for Kalac and the dead woman’s gold 2001 Ford Focus with the Washington license 495-YLY.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press