Man faces murder charge in death of his grandmother

A man who was upset with his grandmother has confessed to killing her in Washougal.

Benjamin Wayne Walker, 27, went to the Washougal Police Station Monday, just before 6 a.m., and told an officer he killed Joan E. Walker, 78, in a home at 3326 “H” St.

Camas Police officers were dispatched to the house, where they contacted Benjamin’s parents, Terry and Dorothea Walker. The officers went to Joan Walker’s bedroom where they found her lying on her back.

According to the probable cause statement, one of the officers observed an injury to Joan Walker’s throat and a knife was located near her.

During an interview with police, Benjamin Walker said he drank a six pack and a 32 oz. can of beer earlier in the morning. Walker said his grandmother frequently chastised him for leaving lights on and using too much water while showering.

He said he choked her, using both hands, then got a knife in the kitchen and cut her throat.

The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the manner of death to be a homicide, and the cause was strangulation and multiple sharp force injuries of the neck.

Walker has been arrested for first-degree murder and is in the Clark County Jail.

Court documents indicate he lived with his parents and brother, has been unemployed for two weeks and has an issue with alcohol.