Court documents: Man accused of killing father in Spokane confessed killing to family, friend

A 38-year-old man stabbed his father with a kitchen knife at an East Central Spokane apartment and admitted the killing to loved ones before he was arrested near Interstate 90 where he forced a SWAT standoff and freeway closure, according to law enforcement and court documents.

Damian C. Eiffert was arrested Wednesday and faces a second-degree murder charge in the killing of his father, who was identified in court documents as Robert Eiffert. Court documents did not indicate the father’s age.

Damian Eiffert, wearing light green Spokane County Jail inmate clothing, made his first appearance Friday in Spokane County District Court, where Judge Andrew Biviano maintained his bond at $2 million.

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan Degen told the court Damian Eiffert has eight felony convictions, 10 adult misdemeanors and 40 failures to appear in court. He had two warrants for his arrest prior to being arrested on suspicion of murder, Degen said.

Neighbors found Robert Eiffert at about 2:40 p.m. lying in the doorway of an apartment building at 29 S. Thor St., according to court documents.

One neighbor told police he found Robert Eiffert “cut up,” not breathing and lying in the doorway. Another said he saw Robert Eiffert lying on the front porch and that Damian Eiffert left the residence, jumped over Robert Eiffert’s bloody body and drove away in the father’s car.

Robert Eiffert died at the residence.

Raeline Eiffert, Damian Eiffert’s mother, told police she received a phone call from her son at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday. She said he was “amped up and all over the place” during the call, documents say. He told her he asked his father for a ride to treatment, but he wouldn’t take him. Damian Eiffert admitted to smoking methamphetamine and getting extremely high while also being ill from opioid withdrawal, documents say.

Damian Eiffert told her he could not stand his dad anymore and stabbed him to death, the mother told police.

Police said the father was stabbed in the neck, head and chest, court records show.

Detectives searched the home and found a blood trail from the building entrance where Robert Eiffert was found to a recliner in the apartment. Police believe the assault started when Robert Eiffert was seated in the recliner, according to documents.

A steak knife was on the living room floor in front of the recliner. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were on and around the table in the living room.

Damian Eiffert’s ex-girlfriend told police Damian Eiffert was living with his father on Thor Street. She got a call from Damian Eiffert on his father’s phone Tuesday afternoon saying he was outside her home waiting in the alley.

She met him in the alley and saw he was driving his father’s car, which confused her because his dad would never let him drive his car, she told police. She said Damian Eiffert got out of the car, gave her a hug and said, “I love you … I just killed my dad.” He then got in his car and left.

She and Damian Eiffert met up later outside a home in the Bemiss Neighborhood where Damian Eiffert left his father’s car. He got into a car with her and her friend, and he again told her he stabbed his dad, she told police. She also heard Damian Eiffert, who she said had blood on his hand, tell his friend on the phone he killed his dad.

Officers responded to the Bemiss home on North Altamont Street and located the Nissan Altima that belonged to the father. Police found what appeared to be blood stains on the driver’s seat of the car, documents say.

Washington State Patrol troopers found a stolen vehicle that was out of gas and on the side of I-90 at about 7:50 a.m. Wednesday. Damian Eiffert was the only person inside and refused to surrender or cooperate, court records say. A standoff with WSP and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office lasted until about 9:10 a.m.

Damian Eiffert tried to run before he was captured.

He told police Thursday in an interview room that he admitted to being at his father’s apartment Tuesday. Damian Eiffert told police they got into an argument because his father was going to give his friend a ride to Kellogg, but would not give him a ride across town to go to treatment.

He wanted an attorney before answering more questions.

In a jail interview with KHQ, Damian Eiffert said he did not recall Tuesday’s events and did not commit the crime. He said his last clear memory was being attacked by a police K-9 unit and going to the hospital with injuries.

He remained in jail Friday and declined an interview with The Spokesman-Review.