www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29403411/ QUOTE:
Dagger seized as evidence in Hazel Dell girl's murder
By kgw.com Staff
KGW-TV
updated 2:49 p.m. ET Feb. 27, 2009
HAZEL DELL, Wash. -- A search warrant obtained by KGW reveals new details and new evidence into the arrest of the convicted sex offender who, court documents say, admitted to police he violently beat and tried to rape 13-year-old Alycia Nipp.
Monday, detectives from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the home of Darrin Sanford’s mother, Shirley Newman.
In an interview with Newschannel 8, Newman said, "I want to hurt my son. I want to take his life so bad and make him feel what he did to this girl."
More evidence collectedNewman provided Newschannel 8 with a copy of the search warrant and the inventory list of evidence taken from her property by police on Monday. “I knew in my heart. Something just told me he did it,” Newman said.
The inventory list had 31 items seized by investigators, including a brown, extra large hoodie with stains, black and brown gloves, a large black jacket with stains, blue jeans with stains, a splint with wrap bandage, underwear with stains and a silver dagger.
Video:Police search suspect's mother's home
Shirley Newman says she has not spoken to her son since his arrest. He hasn’t called and she can’t bring herself to visit him in jail. Instead, she says her thoughts are with Alycia Nipp’s mother. “I want to hold her. I want to hold the mom. I want to hold her and take the pain away. I would just give anything if I could just bring her daughter back,” said Newman.
Sanford arrested after confessionDetectives on Monday arrested Darin E. Sanford, 30, for the murder of Alycia D. Nipp, who was found beaten and stabbed to death in a Hazel Dell field. Sanford was arrested on probable cause and charged with aggravated murder in the first degree, based on the confession he provided Clark County investigators.
The transient sex offender admitted to police that he violently beat Nipp after attempting to rape her and then moved her body afterwards to "an area where she would be found," according to a court document.
Some of Nipp’s family members attended Sanford’s first court appearance Tuesday morning. “They had to look at him and they had to see this monster that did this," Alycia’s aunt, Amber Hager said. “I want to see him sentenced to death, honestly. I think, he took a life and for that he deserves to give a life, his life.”
More:Read court affidavit (.pdf)
According to the probable cause statement obtained by KGW Tuesday, Sanford told police he met the young girl in a vacant field, walked her to an isolated area and tried to have sexual intercourse with her.
In a search warrant investigators said they seized several items of stained clothing and a silver dagger during a search of Sanford's mother's house in Vancouver.
Detectives said a Global Positioning System anklet helped them track down Sanford's whereabouts at the time of the killing.
Nipp died of multiple stab woundsWhen Sanford could not complete the sexual act Nipp "giggled at him," according to his statement to detectives. He went on to say that her laughter enraged him and he hit her repeatedly, knocking her to the ground.
Sanford told investigators he could not recall what he beat Nipp with but that he left her lying in the vacant lot, and returned later in order to move her body so that she would be found.
A medical examiner determined that Nipp died from multiple stab wounds.
Detectives said the sex offender was being monitored and tracked by the Department of Corrections with a GPS ankle monitor. That device confirmed he was in the area and his movements at the time of Nipp's death.
Sanford talked to KGWSanford had been living in a nearby abandoned house, according to police. He spoke to KGW on Monday afternoon, just before police finished questioning him but before his arrest.
During that brief exchange, Sanford said he was in the area "off and on" around the time detectives believed Nipp was murdered. He had an obvious injury on his left hand but claimed it was due to a bicycle accident.
"They [police] just asked me a bunch of questions because of my past criminal history," Sanford told KGW.
Suspect convicted of attempting to lure kids from playground Sanford was convicted in 1998 for attempting to lure children from a Vancouver playground in October 1997, according to aregistered sex offender detail reportfrom Clark County. He is currently listed as a Level 3 Sex Offender, a classification that indicates a high probability of repeat sexual offenses, according to the state of Oregon.
In 1997, Sanford attempted to lure a group of children from a Harney Elementary School playground in Southeast Vancouver, according to police reports.
Sanford touched an 8-year-old boy on the buttocks and offered other children money in exchange for oral sex; they refused, according to the report.
He then attempted to lure them to his house so that they could "play house," the report said.
Young girl's body found by stepfatherNipp was discovered by her stepfather in a field near their family home early Sunday. She died of multiple stab wounds, the medical examiner reported Monday.
Family members told police that Nipp was last seen around 5 p.m. Saturday, when she separated from a friend and decided to walk alone through a field north of a Goodwill Store on NE 78th Street, as a shortcut to get home.
Nipp never arrived. Her family reported her missing at about 1 a.m. Sunday morning.
When police arrived at her home on 13th Avenue, they were told the girl's stepfather was out looking for her. Around 2:30 a.m. he returned to the home, saying he had found her body in an empty field nearby, according to police.
"Based on evidence at the scene it appears that Alycia was killed at one location and her body was dragged approximately 100 yards to the location she was recovered from. When Alycia was found, all of her clothing was in tact," said Sgt. Scott Schanaker with the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
Police: Several transient sex offenders living in area Neighbors expressed frustration with the condition of the area where she was found. Police said Sanford was one of several transient sex offenders living in the area.
“It just tells me that … the city needs to do something about this, because cops are here two, three times a week chasing drug addicts” neighbor Gary Craft said.
"It appears at this point that she may have been a target of opportunity," Schanaker said.
Friends of the victim reacted to her death with shock.
"She was beautiful, she was such a cute little girl, she was so tiny, she's always really happy and smiling she was so sweet,” said Molly Warlick, a friend of the victim.
“It is just so sad to think how little she is and how someone could do something like this," said Kristen Warlick, another friend. "Kids never deserve to die like that."
Sanford was scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday in Clark County.