Prosecutors say the video, clothing and garage evidence pointed detectives back to the husband who made the 911 call.

COVINGTON, Wash. — A Covington man who reported that an intruder stabbed him and his wife is charged with first-degree murder after detectives said doorbell camera footage and bloody clothing undercut his account.

Kyle Wayland Cathcart, 41, pleaded not guilty May 18 in King County Superior Court to first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement in the death of his wife, 36-year-old Jodi Ann Cathcart. Prosecutors say she was stabbed at least 48 times May 1 inside the couple’s home on 186th Place Southeast while their three young children were nearby. Bail remained set at $60 million after the arraignment.

The case began as a reported home invasion. Cathcart called 911 about 7:25 a.m. and told authorities that an unknown attacker had forced his way into the house, stabbed Jodi Cathcart and injured him during a fight. Deputies with the King County Sheriff’s Office found Jodi Cathcart dead in a bedroom. Cathcart had injuries described in court documents as non-life-threatening, including superficial wounds to his abdomen, swelling near one eye and an injury to his hand. A kitchen knife was found in a hallway. Cathcart told detectives he had heard his wife scream his name, went to check on her and saw a man in a dark hoodie. He said the attacker was about his height and build and had blue eyes.

The front-door camera quickly became a key part of the investigation. Detectives said they found footage of a person in dark clothing leaving the home after the stabbing, but no footage of anyone entering before it. The person on the video had a hood pulled over the head, and investigators noted what appeared to be a white tag on the back of the garment, suggesting the shirt or sweatshirt was inside out. Police asked Cathcart whether he noticed that the person leaving the home appeared similar to him in size. They also asked whether he owned clothing like what the person wore. Cathcart denied hurting his wife and said he did not own black sweatpants, but he said he owned a black sweatshirt that read “Karate Dad.”

Detectives later moved from the front door to the garage. Court documents say there was blood near the garage door, which had keypad access. Investigators said the camera system did not show anyone entering the home through the front or back doors before Jodi Cathcart was killed. That made the garage important because someone with a code or opener could use it without being captured by the same camera view. Cathcart pointed out during an interview that the video showed the person leaving, but not returning. Detectives said that detail did not clear him because he had the ability to reenter through the garage. They later wrote that the evidence showed he had both the time and ability to leave in view of the camera and get back inside unseen.

The clothing evidence added another link. During a search near the home, detectives found a pile of black clothing on top of garbage at a neighbor’s property. The items included a black hoodie with the words “Karate Mom” on it. Investigators said it tested positive for blood, and Jodi Cathcart’s mother confirmed the hoodie belonged to her daughter. Detectives said the clothing resembled what the person in the camera footage had worn while leaving the house. They also found items from Jodi Cathcart’s wallet outside near the home, which prosecutors say fit a staged burglary scene rather than a true forced entry. Authorities said there were no obvious signs that an intruder had broken into the residence.

After Cathcart was arrested in Renton, detectives interviewed him again. Police wrote that he admitted he had planned to kill Jodi Cathcart, put on her clothing, used a kitchen knife and staged the scene to look like a burglary. Investigators said he also admitted smearing blood on the garage door and going back into the house through the garage because he knew the camera would not show him. According to court documents, Cathcart said he tried to kill himself with the knife after the attack, “but the knife was too dull.” Prosecutors say the statement came after investigators had already gathered video, clothing and scene evidence that challenged the intruder story.

Prosecutors also described an alleged financial motive. Charging papers say Cathcart had told investigators the couple had pending civil lawsuits that he claimed would bring payouts totaling more than $61 million. One payout was said to be due the day Jodi Cathcart was killed. Prosecutors allege those claims were not what Cathcart had made them seem, and that he killed his wife to keep her from learning the truth. Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Thomas O’Ban wrote that Cathcart chose violence rather than a divorce, saying the children were only a few yards away and within hearing range during the attack. Cathcart has entered a not guilty plea, and the allegations remain to be tested in court.

Jodi Cathcart’s death also left a public mark beyond the court file. Friends and coworkers identified her as a mother of three and an assistant codirector at Foster Champs of Washington, an organization connected to foster families. The children, ages 7, 5 and 3, are staying with relatives, according to local reports. Coworkers and friends began raising support for the family after her death. The King County Medical Examiner’s Office later formally identified her as Jodi Ann Cathcart, 36. Investigators have not said that the children were physically injured, but prosecutors stressed their closeness to the bedroom as part of the state’s argument for high bail.

Cathcart remains in custody with bail set at $60 million. The next steps in the case are expected to move through King County Superior Court, where prosecutors must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence outlined so far centers on the 911 call, the camera footage, the garage route, the bloody clothing, the recovered knife and Cathcart’s alleged statements to detectives.

Author note: Last updated May 27, 2026.