The arraignment of a Dustin Lee Zapel, who is accused of stabbing and killing two men who lived in his apartment complex, was postponed Friday pending a mental competency evaluation.
In a court hearing Friday morning, Zapel’s attorney Jeff Sowder told the court that Zapel has a long history at Western State Hospital, an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Lakewood.
Clark County Judge John Fairgrieve granted the evaluation and scheduled a review for Sept. 12.
Zapel is accused of killing 42-year-old Thomas West and 55-year-old James Olsen, two men who reportedly lived with him at the Central Park Place Apartments. He is also accused of attempting to stab a third surviving victim, David Garner, 51.
Zapel appeared in court last week on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
Vancouver police officers were called to the apartment complex, 1900 Fort Vancouver Way, at about 1:30 a.m. July 16 for a report of a stabbing.
Garner told police that he heard what sounded like a “scuffle and growling sounds” coming from outside his bedroom window in the courtyard, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.
When he investigated, he found Zapel, a fellow resident, in the communal kitchen holding a knife, the affidavit states.
Garner said he spoke to Zapel, who responded with something unintelligible and lunged at Garner with the knife, the affidavit states. Garner went back into his room.
Arriving officers found the bodies of the two men, which had cuts and puncture wounds, a short distance away from each other in the courtyard of the complex, according to the court documents.
Surveillance video captured the attack, which police said appeared to be unprovoked, which involved Zapel stabbed Olsen several times in the head, torso and stomach, according to the affidavit.
Zapel was not at the residence when officers arrived, so police launched a manhunt that led to Zapel’s capture about seven hours after the slayings in the Five Corners area, near Northeast 94th Avenue and Northeast Covington Road.
In an interview with detectives, Zapel said he was lying in bed when he decided to kill people, according to the affidavit. He said he went outside, found West and stabbed him in the head and chest and bit him in the head. He then repeatedly stabbed “the other guy,” whose name he didn’t know, he said, in the stomach, court documents said.
Lori Olsen, James Olsen’s ex-wife, said that James was a veteran who served 20 years in the US Navy and volunteered his time at the VA and other veteran causes. He had two children and three grandchildren.
“He had a big heart and always tried to help his fellow veteran,” she said. “His family is all shocked and saddened from the nature of his death.
Family and friends of West said that he was an avid member of Revival Tabernacle Ministries in Vancouver and helped out the pastor by mowing and weeding his lawn.
“He is a really kind spirit,” the West family said in a statement to The Columbian. “He really loved the Lord and had a very sweet disposition. He would do anything for anybody.”
