ISSAQUAH, WA – A woman facing accusations of murdering her boyfriend with an ax and setting fire to their apartment pleaded not guilty in King County Superior Court this week.
Kimberly Feyhl, 49, remains in custody with bail set at $3 million following her arrest on September 16. She faces charges of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement as well as first-degree arson.
Authorities responded to an early morning fire at an Issaquah apartment complex before 8 a.m. that day. Firefighters discovered a man dead inside one of the units, while Feyhl was found outdoors at a nearby playground.
Law enforcement officials say Feyhl admitted during questioning to both killing the man, identified as 43-year-old Richard Kenneth Schnepf, and setting the blaze afterward. According to court documents, Feyhl and Schnepf had been roommates and had dated periodically in recent years.
Investigators said Feyhl described the killing as an act she believed was commanded by God. She allegedly told police that she thought Schnepf intended to harm her, and that both divine instructions and voices had compelled her actions.
On the night before the incident, according to police reports, Feyhl waited for Schnepf to come to her room, purportedly expecting him to attack her. When he did not appear, she retrieved an ax, went to his room, and found him asleep. Feyhl allegedly struck Schnepf in the head repeatedly while he lay on top of his bedcovers.
Believing Schnepf might still be alive, Feyhl said she doused him with rubbing alcohol and set him on fire using a lighter. Investigators later found the alcohol bottle and a bloodstained ax at the scene. Feyhl was also reportedly carrying a lighter at the time of her arrest.
Authorities observed extensive evidence at the scene, including blood spatter on several walls in the room where Schnepf’s body was located.
Feyhl was formally charged in connection with the slaying of Schnepf and the subsequent arson. She appeared in court on Tuesday for her arraignment, where she entered a plea of not guilty.
She continues to be held in the King County Jail. Her next appearance before the court is scheduled for October 9 as judicial proceedings move forward.