Walter Hansen, a 51-year-old White man, died of a gunshot wound to the head after being found in a bedroom of his Yakima, Washington home on the morning of August 19, 2020. Police were dispatched after Hansen’s wife, Kimberly Hansen, called 911 and stated she had shot her husband. Walter was taken to Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital and died shortly after arrival.

Authorities took Kimberly Hansen into custody and she was booked on a requested charge of second-degree murder, domestic violence. Investigators reported a history of domestic abuse by Walter against his wife, including a prior strangulation report and an active no-contact order. Kimberly told police she had been held against her will from the previous Sunday until the morning of the shooting, alleging she was tied to the bed and forced to take drugs, and that a struggle over a handgun ended with it discharging and killing Walter.

The prosecutor’s office reviewed the evidence and concluded the available facts suggested Kimberly had acted in self-defense, making a murder prosecution unlikely to succeed beyond a reasonable doubt. Does anyone have information about the couple or the days leading up to August 19, 2020?