MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. (Court TV) — A Washington State teenager is facing attempted murder charges after investigators say she tried to get into her ex-boyfriend’s house while holding a gun.
A still image from surveillance video appears to show a woman holding a weapon. (King County Sheriff’s Office)
Trinity Morley, 19, is charged with attempted first-degree murder after the incident on July 27 that began when Morley’s father called police asking them to perform a welfare check. Morley’s father told dispatchers that his daughter had left their home with the intent to graffiti her ex-boyfriend’s house.
Surveillance video from Morley’s family’s home shows a hooded figure appearing to hold a weapon walking through the yard. In a statement, the King’s County Sheriff’s Office said a journal found in the home said Morley “was going to her ex-boyfriend’s house with a shotgun.”
Morley’s ex-boyfriend wasn’t home, but his father called 911 to report that someone was outside his home with a firearm. Doorbell video released by investigators shows a person with their face partially covered, holding a shotgun outside the door.
Deputies used a drone to locate Morley on a nearby dock, where they said she was “still holding the shotgun and a knife.” A deputy slowly approached the teen and talked to her until she calmly surrendered and was placed into handcuffs.
The King County Sheriff’s Office said the victim in the case “believed that [Morley] would have killed him, had she been given the chance.”
Trinity Morley appears to smile while in the custody of officers after her arrest. (King County Superior Court)
In court documents reviewed by Court TV, prosecutors say Morley admitted her plan was to kill her ex-boyfriend and then die herself in a confrontation with police. Morley allegedly said she was upset that the rape allegations she made against her ex did not lead to criminal charges. In the charging documents, prosecutors described Morley’s demeanor after her arrest as “eerie,” noting she was “observed smiling, rolling her eyes, and even chuckling.”
While talking to officers, Morley blurted out, “Pretty good story,” upon seeing the narrative being written about what happened. “You’re quite the writer,” she allegedly said.
Prosecutors say Morley illegally obtained the shotgun through her new boyfriend, identified in court documents as “Josh,” under the false pretense of needing it for self-defense. Investigators say she did that because days beforehand, on July 18, her parents filed for an emergency protective order to prevent her from buying a firearm, saying they were concerned about her intent to harm others.
When her parents checked her room recently, they found her journal in which Morley expressed her “intent to kill the victim, saying ‘I have the gun now, three rounds of slug of buckshot. The shotgun is heavy. He told me that if I told hold it right, my arm will get blown off. I have 3 chances to get this right and I don’t want to have to resort to the knives. I’m sorry I lied to you Josh. I’m so sorry to everyone about everything.”
