A 23-year-old Renton man faces a domestic violence first-degree murder charge for allegedly intentionally running over his girlfriend with his car after a dispute Aug. 27 on Kent’s East Hill.
Cordonte Walker remains in the King County jail at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent with bail set at $2 million. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 14 at the Regional Justice Center where he’s expected to enter a plea.
Lurdes Keymolen, 23, of Renton, died from blunt force trauma to many parts of her body consistent with being struck by a vehicle, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. Her pelvis was broken in several places and multiple ribs on both sides were fractured, resulting in damage to her lungs and massive internal bleeding. She also had a broken jaw, a black eye and trauma to her face and head.
“After threatening and beating the victim with his fists, he killed her by intentionally running her over with his car,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Castleton Jr. in charging papers filed Aug. 31. “He then dragged her lifeless body to his car, unconcerned about the witness who had the defendant at gunpoint in an attempt to keep him from leaving the scene.”
Prosecutors allege that Walker then drove away, dumped Keymolen’s body behind a nearby business and left her there for police to find.
“Given the defendant’s callous, brazen, premeditated and intentional behavior, as well as a concerning recent history of domestic violence with a separate victim, it is clear that he poses an extreme risk to the community,” Castleton wrote.
Walker told detectives he didn’t assault Keymolen and that it was an accident that he ran over her because she had stepped in front of his car.
Kent Police responded at about 3:41 a.m. Aug. 27 to the 24700 block of 102nd Place Southeast regarding a threat with a weapon. A man called 911 to report he had a person at gunpoint who had just hit a woman with a vehicle. The caller said Walker drove away so he fired multiple shots at the vehicle’s tires in an attempt to keep him from leaving the scene.
The witness told police he was outside his home smoking a cigarette when he heard a woman screaming for help. He saw a woman on the ground in the shrubbery of his neighbor’s yard being punched in the face and head by a man standing over her. The woman got up and walked across South 248th Street. Walker then reportedly yelled, “I want all my (expletive) back.”
Walker dumped the contents of the woman’s purse into the street. The woman walked back across the street to the corner. The witness then saw Walker get back in the car and watched him accelerate and strike the woman, causing her to fly back. Walker then allegedly drove over the woman. He then got out and dragged the woman by her arm into the front passenger seat. The door wouldn’t close as her legs were hanging outside the door. Walker then sped off.
Kent Police searched the area and saw Walker on foot in the 24600 block of 104th Avenue Southeast, according to charging papers. He matched the suspect description and police took him into custody without incident. Officers found the vehicle a short distance away. Keymolen’s body was found near the car at the rear of a business building, lying on the ground. Officers were unable to revive Keymolen.
During an interview with detectives, Walker said he had dated Keymolen for two years and they went out to dinner for her birthday. On the way home to the apartment they shared, they stopped at his girlfriend’s parents home to visit. He said he had at least six shots of tequila and at one point fell asleep. When he woke up, he and Keymolen left in his 2001 black Pontiac Grand Prix, with her driving.
Walker said they started to argue and it became heated. Keymolen stopped the car, got out of the vehicle and began walking away. Walker said he got in the driver’s seat and told her to get in the car. The two then argued outside the vehicle. Walker said he got back in the car to drive away and that Keymolen suddenly stepped in front of the vehicle causing the car to strike her.
Walker said he picked her up and put her in the front seat of the car. He said a man appeared out of nowhere and threatened to shoot him, so he quickly tried to put her in the car and drive way because he was scared to be shot. He said his intent was to drive to Highline Hospital in Burien, but instead he pulled into a parking lot that he believed was a church. He said he pulled Keymolen out of the car and put her on the ground. He said he slapped her in the face to attempt to wake her up. He then said he bit her and punched her to try to wake her up.
When Keymolen failed to respond, Walker said he tried to find someone to help. He denied assaulting Keymolen in any way prior to hitting her with his car, which he stated was accidental.
Police found a handgun belonging to Walker at the scene. Prosecutors charged Walker with unlawful possession of a firearm because of a court order issued against him in 2019 protecting a woman in another case while she was his girlfriend. Prosecutors said the July 2018 domestic violence case revealed striking similarities to the present case. He reportedly punched the woman during a dispute in a Starbuck’s parking lot in Auburn before driving away.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
