By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Steven Standley
The family of a man and his wife, who was killed last week, said their hearts “are broken by the tragic loss of two amazing people.”
Authorities arrested the son of Steve and Theresa Standley on March 14.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said the bodies of Theresa Standley, 56, and Steven Standley, 55, were found inside their Buckley home on the night of March 13, after another son requested a welfare check.
A former high school classmate of Steven Standley’s, Yvonne Kinoshita Ward, said he was a “very nice guy, an athlete, and smart.” Kinoshita Ward last saw him at a class reunion and said, “No one in our class can understand this at all.”
Another friend, Karen Fouts Thomas, said, “Steve was one of my best friends from high school. He was the kindest and most caring person I have ever known. I will always remember his smile and the twinkle in his eyes that would light up the room.”
Police located 21-year-old Jared Standley on the morning of March 14, near a Tumwater motel.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said he was inside a car and ignored officers’ commands to stop.
Authorities say a sheriff’s office sergeant fired three shots at the car, as Standley tried to ram him with his car.
On March 19, Pierce County prosecutors charged Standley with two counts of aggravated first-degree murder. According to charging papers, Standley shot and killed his father and apparently beat his mother to death, about a week after he was kicked out of the family home.
Standley pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and he was ordered to be held without bail.
In a statement issued on March 15, the Standley family said Steve and Theresa would have been married 25 years in May. It said they “were drawn to each other by Terri’s love for the Japanese culture and Steve’s Japanese heritage.
“They both lived life to the fullest. Steve had an infectious smile and would help anyone. He was an active sportsman and athlete who loved riding his bike, hunting, and fishing. Terri was a kindhearted, giving person that loved teaching and helping others become the best version of themselves. She had a talent for creativity, making crafts such as weaving baskets and designing ceramic buttons.”
Staff can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.