A Whatcom County Superior Court jury delivered a guilty verdict on August 18 against a 44-year-old Birch Bay man for attempting to kill a woman he had dated.
Clayton Edward Dubois, 44, was found guilty of attempted first-degree murder with a domestic violence enhancement and unlawful firearm possession in the second-degree.
Dubois’ guilty verdict stems from his arrest nearly a year before on August 20, 2024, when he tried to leave the woman at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. According to the police report, Dubois told police that he had consumed methamphetamine, marijuana and tequila before attempting to murder the then-41-year-old woman at his home in the 4500 block of Lincoln Road.
Dubois told police he was going to “mercy kill” the woman and said she had put a spell on him. Dubois hit her twice with propane tanks in his garage. In response to being asked why he was trying to hit her, Dubois replied to “kill her.”
Dubois then told police he had a “change of heart” and took her to the hospital, according to court records. Hospital staff and police wrestled with Dubois when he tried leaving.
The woman was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she received treatment in the intensive care unit.
The woman filed a personal injury lawsuit against Dubois in late March that requested compensation for medical and counseling expenses, loss of wages and attorney fees.
The lawsuit states the woman was treated for multiple fractures, including on the face, eye, ribs and elbow, among other injuries. Dubois responded to the complaint in April denying liability. The litigation is ongoing.
Dubois, who has been held in Whatcom County Jail since his arrest, will be sentenced in September for the criminal charges.
