Court docs detail first-hand account of Scappoose deadly stabbing
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- New court documents shed light on the deadly stabbing of Rhiannon Amelia Meyer in Scappoose Tuesday night.
According to a probable cause document, when officers arrived at Meyer's home on Dec. 19, they found her collapsed on the porch with her mother, Debbie, holding a cloth to her neck.
Debbie told officers that Derek Lee Welter, 40, was the one who stabbed her and that he ran off after.
Derek was homeless and Meyer had been allowing him to shower and do laundry at her home, Debbie told authorities.
On the afternoon of Dec. 19, Meyer was at home with Debbie who told investigators that Welter had been acting weird, saying he was being paranoid and pacing around.
Debbie said that Welter might have been acting this way due to his past meth use.
Welter's mother, Josie, had also been at the home that day, but according to the court documents, she left because she was scared of Welter.
Debbie said that Welter had walked into the kitchen where he jumped onto Meyer and began stabbing her with a 'switchblade' style knife.
While Meyer attempted to run away, Debbie said attempted to fight off Welter and after making it to the home's front door, Meyer collapsed and Welter left the home in his truck.
According to the court documents, when officers arrived, they found several deep stab wounds around Meyer's neck and a deep wound in her abdomen.
Just after 6:30 p.m., authorities said they found Welters's truck near Gunners Lake, but it drove away as officers tried to make contact.
At 11:34 p.m., with assistance from the SWAT team, Oregon State Police and the Washington County Sheriff's Office, Welter was taken into custody.