Community Police & Fire

Prosecutors charge 29-year-old Fox Island man in shooting death of girlfriend

Pierce County prosecutors on Tuesday charged Lars Eugene Nelson, 29, with fatally shooting his girlfriend at a home on Fox Island on Sunday, April 20.

Prosecutors charged Nelson with second degree murder in Pierce County Superior Court. Charging documents indicate the 27-year-old woman, who is identified only by initials, died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Nelson on Sunday at a home on the 800 block of Fox Drive.

Nelson pleaded not guilty. Superior Court Commissioner Barbara McInavaille set Nelson’s bail at $750,000.

Reported as a suicide

The court documents confirmed what a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office social media post indicated on Sunday: That Nelson called 911 early Sunday to report his girlfriend’s death as a suicide.

Investigators determined that the number of wounds and shell casings were “inconsistent with her allegedly (dying by) suicide,” according to a probable cause statement filed by prosecutors.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office has not yet officially ruled on the cause and manner of the victim’s death. But according to court documents, the examiner “indicated that he would not rule her death as a suicide.” The Medical Examiner’s Office also will identify the victim when it completes its report. 

Suicidal ideation

The documents noted that at least two recent 911 callers reported that the victim expressed thoughts of suicide on a social media app called Discord. The victim’s mother also asked deputies to check on her on April 18, two days before her death, citing a text indicating she was considering taking her own life.

Detectives later interviewed the victim’s parents, who said the woman had battled depression since her teenage years and had previously attempted suicide.

The parents told the detectives that during a recent phone conversation, their daughter said that Nelson “would help end her suffering.”

“The parents spoke about a possible ‘suicide pact’ between (Nelson and the victim) … but also said it was possible Lars assisted (her) in taking her life,” charging documents said.

Described as kind and thoughtful

Friends and family members sent letters to the court asking that Nelson be granted bail. They said Nelson was an Eagle Scout with a full-time job at an Amazon warehouse. They described him as kind and thoughtful, not a threat to society.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nelson was still listed as being in the Pierce County Jail.

Nelson’s next court appearance is scheduled for May 19, with a jury trial tentatively scheduled to begin June 11. Such dates are often delayed.