Double Murder on Herron Island; Suspect Arrested in Kent

Update: James Carnagey, the suspect arrested in December, was charged with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder Jan. 9. According to charging documents, Carnagey said he found the bodies Dec. 5, but left the island instead of calling police because he thought he would be suspected, according to charging documents. The court appointed counsel and entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Jan. 26. 

Two bodies were found in a Herron Island home by Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies conducting a welfare check Dec. 11. The deputies determined that the pair, Wendy Walker-Carnagey, 64, and Chad Malloy, 39, had died after being stabbed as long as a week before the discovery.

Deputies arrested James Edward Carnagey, 63, at a Kent motel Dec. 12 on suspicion of the two murders after a standoff, during which police say he stabbed himself. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. He had not been charged by press time.

Carnagey and Walker were married, though the status of the marriage could not be determined by press time. According to county records, the couple bought the island property in November 2023. Carnagey left sometime afterward, and Malloy, reportedly Walker's boyfriend, moved in.

According to Pierce County Superior Court records, Carnagey was charged seven times for various crimes since 2018, including assault, felony harassment, violation of a protection order, and, most recently, failure to register as a sex offender in January 2024. Each time, he either pleaded guilty or was found incompetent to stand trial. The court ordered an evaluation for involuntary treatment of an unspecified mental health issue in 2021.

Walker worked locally on the KP. One friend, who declined to be identified, said Carnagey had returned to the home “a few months ago” and was “OK” with sharing the house with Malloy.