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Spokane Co. attempted murder suspect claims victim hurt child, docs say

Authorities said the assault was due to the "contentious" ending of the relationship between Tollefson's daughter and the victim. Documents said the victim is also Tollefson's grandchild's father.

One of the suspects in an alleged attempted murder plot in North Spokane County claims he went to the victim’s home to confront him about hurting a child, documents said.

John Tollefson, 50, and Eric Kaiser, 44, both made their first court appearances Wednesday afternoon. Both men are charged with attempted first-degree murder and criminal conspiracy to commit first degree murder. A judge set each of their bonds at $250,000. Kaiser and Tollefson will return to court at the end of Dec.

In court, the defense argued there wasn't enough probable cause to charge Kaiser of criminal conspiracy.

"There's nothing in the affidavit that I've seen that shows there's agreement between Mr. Tollefson and Mr. Kaiser. The only assertion of connection between them is Mr. Tollefson allegedly dropped him off," the defense attorney said.

The prosecutor pointed to the deputy's report saying the two appeared to be working together and made a plan to lure the victim out of his home and attack him. The judge ruled there was enough probable cause for conspiracy to commit murder charge.

The victim's lawyer also came forward. He wanted the judge to be aware the victim has a family law case with Tollefson's daughter as well.

"There has been prior witness intimidation in the matters that we've been dealing with. This is a cold calculated, brutal attack, my client just got out of the hospital. So we are asking you to set the highest bond necessary to protect his safety," said Attorney Mark Cassell.

Spokane County Sheriff’s officials said the two men worked together to devise a plan to lure the victim out of his home and assault him. Authorities said the assault was due to the “contentious” ending of the relationship between Tollefson’s daughter and the victim. Documents said the victim is also Tollefson’s grandchild’s father.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on North Edencrest Drive around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of an assault. The caller said a man covered in blood was at his front porch. Deputies said the 22-year-old man was bleeding profusely from injuries to his head.

The victim told deputies he was at his home when he heard a knock on his front door. When he answered it, a man was standing on his front porch. The man told him he lost control of his car and slid into the victim’s car because of the icy roads. When the victim stepped outside, the suspect began hitting him in the head with a hammer. The fight continued through several nearby yards, ending with the victim taking the hammer away from the suspect and then hitting the suspect with it, deputies said.

The victim said he also pulled the suspect’s shirts off during the fight and also bit the suspect on the arm before he ran away. The victim said he started screaming for help and a neighbor came out to help him.

Deputies said while they were talking to the victim, a truck had driven by several times and the victim believed it might be involved. Deputies in the area located the truck and conducted a traffic stop.

The driver, later identified as Tollefson, said he had just left a family member’s home in the area where he had spent most of the day, authorities said. Tollefson said he knew the victim and was driving past after leaving his family member’s home. Officials said Tollefson told them he was “being nosey” due to his daughter’s past with the victim. Deputies said Tollefson could not be tied to the crime at that time and he was released after he declined to answer any more questions.

Authorities said the bloody hammer, the suspect’s shirts and other evidence was collected from the scene. The victim was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

During the investigation, detectives said they learned Tollefson had not been to the family member’s home in several days. Officials said deputies then went to his home on West Osage Way and learned Tollefson had been with Kaiser, who matched the assault suspect’s description, but neither were at the home at the time.

Authorities later said they went back to Tollefson’s home and both he and Kaiser came outside. Kaiser had a large injury to the top of his head, as well as scrapes and what appeared to be a bite mark on his arm.

Kaiser said Tollefson had borrowed his landlord’s truck and drove him to the area of North Edencrest Drive, document show. He told deputies he asked to be let out of the truck, so he could go see his cousin. While he was walking to his cousins, he decided to stop at the victim’s house to talk to him about how he hurt Tollefson’s grandchild, documents said.

Court documents said Kaiser knocked on the victim’s door and when he answered he asked him about hurting the child. Kaiser claimed he was then hit in the head with an unknown object by an unknown person, documents said. Kaiser said then he and the victim went into the front yard and started fighting. Court documents said Kaiser claimed he had punched the man several times in the head at which point he realized he was bleeding and he ran away back to Tollefson’s house.

Officials said both Kaiser and Tollefson were detained and later arrested. Kaiser was transported to the hospital for treatment before being booked into the Spokane County Jail.

Major Crimes Detectives believe Tollefson and Kaiser acted together to come up with a plan to lure the victim from his home where Kaiser ambushed him and hit him with a hammer.

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