Woman faces manslaughter charge accused of smothering boyfriend with her chest

A 50-year-old Everett, Washington woman is accused of smothering her boyfriend by lying on his face. Witnesses said the woman had her chest on the victim’s face, a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office document said. Deputies said they were called to the Airport Inn trailer park at 12:45am on Saturday for a report of a disturbance where medics were performing CPR on a 51-year-old man. Medics took the man to Swedish Hospital in Edmonds, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said that in addition to the victim, a man and three women were at the scene, all who were heavily intoxicated. One of the women, Donna Lange, lived in the mobile home with the victim. Witnesses said during the evening at the couple’s mobile home, there were two incidents in which they heard the couple arguing, and in one incident, they saw Lange throwing down her boyfriend in the back of the mobile home and the victim was heard telling Lange to get off him.

Deputies said witnesses told them Lange was later found on top of the victim, with her chest on his face. A deputy later photographed what appeared to be hair in the victim’s hand that was the same colour as Lange’s hair. Lange appeared to have a recent injury to her face and the victim had appeared to have recent injuries to his hands and face. Deputies were told by one witness that the victim may have had a heart condition, but when a deputy interviewed another witness, she said, “She (Donna Lange) smothered him to death.”

Deputies said they interviewed Lange, who they said appeared to be intoxicated, at the hospital, where she denied knowing anything about how the victim died. Police documents also noted the size difference between Lange and the victim. Documents indicated the victim was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed about 175 pounds, and Lange is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 192 pounds. Police recommended that Lange be charged with second-degree manslaughter.