Repeat offender charged with murder for killing 83-year-old woman in Lynnwood police chase

EVERETT, Wash. — Prosecutors have charged a Snohomish County man with murder for the death of an 83-year-old woman who was killed in a violent crash in Lynnwood last month.

Robert Craig Rowland, 37, was fleeing police when he drove the wrong way on State Route 525 and struck Trudy Slanger’s SUV head-on, according to court papers.

Charging documents obtained by KOMO News on Tuesday lay out the allegations against Rowland, who court records show is a felon with a history of convictions for robbery, theft, fleeing police, assault and domestic violence.

According to the charges, Rowland assaulted and threatened to kill his girlfriend on April 10. The woman’s friends were concerned because Rowland had sent text messages claiming he planned to "skin her alive," a police report says.

On April 10, police tracked the victim’s cell phone to an apartment in Everett. The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) obtained a warrant for the apartment in an attempt to get the woman away from Rowland. When the officers arrived at the apartment, Rowland jumped out a back window and managed to escape in a nearby vehicle, charges say.

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Officers talked to the victim and she told them she did not need medical aid, the report says.

The next day, the woman and a friend were at the Tulalip Resort Casino when Rowland showed up in a mask and punched the friend in the face, according to police. The friend reported Rowland kidnapped his girlfriend and forced her into his truck.

The PNVOTF began searching for Rowland again in Everett. A Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office deputy found Rowland’s truck and attempted to stop him, but Rowland sped off with officers in pursuit.

The deputies lost sight of Rowland and requested help from nearby officers.

According to the police report, the chase was on Beverly Park Road when Rowland swerved into oncoming traffic. One deputy reported deactivating his lights and stopping the pursuit, but other deputies continued after the suspect.

The pursuit went to the area of Highway 99 and SR 525 when deputies say the suspect drove southbound up the northbound off-ramp.

Deputies terminated the pursuit but quickly reported seeing black smoke on the highway. Police went onto the highway and found Rowland’s truck had struck an SUV head-on.

Slanger, the driver of the SUV that Rowland hit, died at the scene. Rowland was taken to Harborview Medical Center and his girlfriend, who was in the truck during the pursuit, was taken to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett with a broken ankle.

The girlfriend told investigators Rowland drove straight into Slanger’s SUV despite having time to swerve and avoid a collision, the report claims.

The facts of this case show the defendant has a history of assaulting individuals when he doesn’t get what he wants. He assaulted (the girlfriend) for considering going into treatment and (her friend) for helping (the girlfriend),” Snohomish County deputy prosecuting attorney Elise Ann Deschenes wrote in charging documents. “The defendant was also willing to put many lives in danger fleeing from the police and in the end made a choice to drive the wrong way on the highway purposely driving head on into an innocent victim, killing her.

Prosecutors charged Rowland with one count of first-degree murder, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, taking a motor vehicle without permission, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, domestic violence assault, assault and hit and run.

Court records show Rowland had two outstanding warrants for his arrest at the time of the crash for charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and first-degree assault. Prosecutors had asked for him to be held on a bail of $250,000, but a judge released Rowland on personal recognizance. Rowland failed to appear for his first court hearing in the first degree assault case and later failed to appear at trial.

Prosecutors allege in court filings that Rowland has been the suspect of 35 prior warrants.

Rowland is being held in the Snohomish County jail on a bond of $3.5 million.