Not Guilty Plea Entered in Bellevue Hatchet Murder

James Schumacher, 71, pleaded not guilty during his Tuesday arraignment to a charge of first-degree murder after being accused of killing his wife with a hatchet last month in their Lake Hills home, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Schumacher, 71, walked into  headquarters March 23 and said that he had killed his wife two days before, Bellevue Police said.

Police investigated their home and found Jean Schumacher, 71, under a bed, dead after being attacked with a hatchet, according to court papers.

Schumacher told police that the couple were married for 46 years and , and he had a history of assaulting her in the past and had been arrested for it.

But charging papers say that .

Their adult children's account confirmed their mother's account in a 2010 No Contact petition that his wife filed against him, according to the charging papers filed by King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg.

Schumacher remains in jail with bail set at $2 million, according to the prosecuting attorney's office. His next scheduled court appearance is a case setting hearing on April 25. 

Case Timeline

March 24, 2012

March 25, 2012

March 27, 2012