Suspect in double fatal stabbing enters insanity plea

A man accused of stabbing to death two men who lived in his apartment complex in July 2017 entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity Wednesday.

Dustin Lee Zapel is charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder in Clark County Superior Court.

He’s accused of killing Thomas West, 42, and James Olsen, 55, in the early morning of July 16, 2017, at the Central Park Place Apartments, 1900 Fort Vancouver Way. Zapel is also accused of attempting to stab a third man, David Garner.

According to court records, arriving officers found West and Olsen’s bodies in the apartment complex courtyard. Officers found Zapel in the Five Corners area after a seven-hour manhunt. Surveillance cameras caught the act, which police said appeared to be unprovoked, on video.

In an interview with detectives, Zapel said he was lying in bed when he decided to kill people. He told them he went outside, found West and stabbed him in the head and chest and bit him in the head. He said he then repeatedly stabbed Olsen in the stomach, court documents state.

Even if Zapel is acquitted, the plea requires he admits to what happened, and he would still face confinement.

Zapel’s defense attorney also filed motions to dismiss the charges, with hearings to be scheduled at a later date.