City employee arrested for manslaughter dies by suicide

A City of Edmonds employee arrested for manslaughter died by suicide almost a month ago, according to the Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office.

Kylie Joel Hatch,  47, died Jan. 12 at his Edmonds home, according to an obituary.  He was a supervisor at the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant.

It was just before 3 a.m. Dec. 29, according to Edmonds Police, that the man called 911 to the 8800 block of 238th Street SW.  According to an Edmonds PD news release, he said his husband was having a violent mental breakdown, breaking property.

According to the caller, his husband had one violent episode earlier in the night. To calm him down, the caller said he applied a choke hold. 

Officers found the 34-year-old man dead on the floor of the residence. Hawley said officers, with probable cause, arrested the man for first-degree manslaughter, reduced to second-degree Dec. 30. He was taken to Snohomish County Jail.

Snohomish County Commissioner Jennifer Millett last month found probable cause that Hatch committed second-degree manslaughter in the death of his 34-year-old husband.  Millett ordered him released on his own recognizance after spending the night of Dec. 29 in jail.

An Edmonds PD police report noted that Hatch said he and his husband had used methamphetamine the day before the incident and began to hallucinate.