SEATTLE (KOMO) – Authorities in Washington state have charged a woman with murder after police say she killed her father with an ice climbing pepper.

It all started after an argument about turning on the lights in the house they shared.

According to court documents, the first signs of trouble in the case happened when neighbors heard broken glass.

It all happened on election night, when the presidential race was about to be announced.

“My first thought was, are people upset about this election or is someone trying to break in and get in?” asked a neighbor.

Prosecutors say the real response was far more horrific.

Investigators say 33-year-old Corey Burke broke nearly every window in the home immediately after killing his father with a hatchet.

“The lights were off and only two people live in that house and one of them was on the street,” the neighbor added.

The neighbor, who did not want to be named, lives near Burke.

While watching the election results, she said she noticed flashing lights outside.

Then he noticed Burke covered in blood.

“My thought was something disastrous happened in the household,” said the nearby resident. “My first instinct was did he kill his father with his bare hands?”

Prosecutors say that’s what happened, except the killing also involved a hatchet.

It all allegedly happened after officials say Burke lunged at her father for simply turning on the lights inside the home.

“When things like this happen, the whole neighborhood is traumatized,” the neighbor said.

Burke has now been charged with first degree murder.

According to prosecutors, Burke may have been suffering from a mental health crisis. She was hospitalized, then transported to jail, where she is being held on $2 million bail.

Copyright 2024 KOMO via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.