Charge dropped against Coulee City teen in death of twin

EPHRATA — With evidence pointing toward self-defense, the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office decided to not prosecute a Coulee City teenager who stabbed and killed his twin brother.

Shawn Wachter, 18, of Coulee City, was charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection with the stabbing death of his twin brother, 17-year-old Shane Wachter, Feb. 19 in Coulee City. Shawn Wachter was 17 when the incident occurred, but state law required prosecutors to charge him as an adult because of the severity of the crime.

Since he was first arrested, Shawn Wachter has maintained his claim of self-defense.

“After a thorough review, the prosecutor’s office concluded that Wachter’s claim of self-defense warranted dismissal of the manslaughter charge,” the prosecutor’s office stated in a release. “The complete investigation by detectives and prosecutors included autopsy and toxicology reports, evidence at the scene, interviews with family members who were present at the time of the stabbing and interviews with Shawn Wachter.”

Several people who were in the house when the stabbing occurred gave police similar accounts of the events leading up to the stabbing. Shane’s girlfriend told investigators Shane came home from drinking about 2 a.m., rolled off of his bed and called for Shawn to help him up. She claimed Shawn refused to help Shane and the brothers started wrestling.

The boy’s mother told investigators her boyfriend broke up the wrestling match and when the brothers were separated Shawn went into the kitchen and Shane followed. She said she watched as Shawn grabbed a knife in the kitchen and armed himself.

Shawn said he believed his brother’s level of intoxication played a role in the fight. He claimed he grabbed a knife and jabbed his brother with the back of it “to get him away.” He said his brother was stabbed after he walked into the knife and he, Shawn, “didn’t purposefully push the knife into him.”

Statements gathered by the prosecutor’s office indicated Shane was the aggressor in the situation and Shawn attempted to get away from Shane when the stabbing occurred.

“The initial information justified charging Shawn with the killing,” Deputy Prosecutor Anna Gigliotti said. “However, after reviewing all of the evidence we concluded Shawn’s claim of self-defense was compelling and the correct thing to do was to dismiss the case against him.”

Prosecutor Garth Dano voiced sympathy for the Wachter family and the Coulee City community.

“The unnecessary and tragic death of Shane Wachter has devastated Shawn, his mother, family, friends, classmates and the entire community,” Dano said. “I truly hope that everyone can find some degree of peace with this resolution and I ask Grant County citizens to continue to support and pray for the family.”

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.