TACOMA, Wash. – A man accused of beating his landlady with a barbell and running over her with a van has been charged with murder in Tacoma, Wash.
The News Tribune reports a not guilty plea was entered Thursday on behalf of 32-year-old Ivan Lee Pinto. He's jailed on $1 million bail.
The Pierce County medical examiner's office has identified the woman who was killed as 60-year-old Janice Gallaher of Tenino.
Deputies arrested Pinto on Wednesday near Roy after he reported the death. He told them the woman struck him first during an argument.
An autopsy found the victim had been hit multiple times with a blunt object, but the fatal skull fracture was caused by being run over by a vehicle.
___
Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
