Mother of stabbing suspect told police he wants to be a serial killer

The mother of downtown stabbing suspect Daniel G. Spain, 25, told police that her son’s goal in life is to become a serial killer, said prosecuting attorney Kyle Treece. The random stabbing of a woman whom Spain admitted following for several blocks before attacking was to be the first step toward that goal, Treece said in court Friday. Spain was ordered held on $100,000 bond on a charge of first-degree assault. He was booked into the Spokane County Jail around 11:30 p.m. Thursday after Spain’s mother turned him in after seeing a surveillance photo of Spain on the news, according to court documents. The victim told police she believed she was stabbed while walking on Second Avenue between South Post Street and South Wall Street on Jan. 25. She said she didn’t realize she had been stabbed but heard a popping noise. Police believe the noise she heard was the knife blade breaking off at the handle. A 5 inch blade was removed from the lower left side of the woman’s back. The wound was life-threatening, according to court documents. Police found clothing in Spain’s apartment that matched the clothing worn by the suspect and found kitchen knives similar to the one use in the attack, according to court documents. Spain’s only prior criminal history was a 2008 charge for malicious mischief that was dismissed in 2010 after he successfully completed a diversion program.