It was April 18 just after 3:00 am when Joshua Everman’s 31-year-old fiancé called 9-1-1 from their apartment in the 1200 block of Pearl Street. A month earlier she’d been charged with domestic violence 4th degree assault. That resulted in a restraining order that had been lifted just one week before her 9-1-1 call. In her call she said that Josh had shot himself during an argument they had about a gun.
Police spoke to his fiancé. She said they had been arguing and she had gone to deal with their 4-month-old baby when he shot himself. Her hands were covered in blood. Josh was on the bed in the bedroom. He had been shot in the left side of the head. But he was right-handed. There were no powder burns around the wound indicating the gun was fired from at least a foot away. And then there were the two bullets lodged in the wall at the same trajectory as the bullet that had hit him.
Paramedics took Josh to the hospital where he later died becoming Tacoma’s seventh homicide this year. His fiancé was arrested and charged with first degree murder.
I spent some time on Josh’s Facebook page. There are dozens of photos of him, his fiancé, and their two kids camping, traveling, and having adventures. It’s clear that their life together wasn’t all bad. It’s stunning to think that I’m looking at a murderer and her victim. And I can’t help but think of the children. One four and the other four months. There’s a senselessness to this. It didn’t need to happen.
When one is in a domestic violence situation it is easy to rationalize. It’s not that bad. Others have it worse. It’s just a rough patch. The cemetery has many people in it who thought exactly the same way.
It’s impossible to overstate the loss of Joshua Everman to his family, to his friends, to his children. It’s something that will echo throughout their lives.
As always, the comment section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Josh and want to share memories of him. My thoughts go out to those impacted by his murder.
- Jack Cameron
tacomastories.com 