Charge Filed In Ax Killing -- Transient Implicated In Other Area Break-INS

James William Cushing, a 36-year-old transient with a history of mental illness, was charged today with aggravated first-degree murder for the ax slaying of Geneva McDonald in her Queen Anne home in March.

Cushing also was charged with attempted murder and two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary, according to papers filed by the King County prosecutor.

The McDonald slaying March 12 struck fear in the Queen Anne neighborhood because someone had broken into several other residences about the same time as the brutal murder.

Cushing also is accused of attempting to kill Ian Warren on June 17. Warren was staying with friends in a home only a few blocks from the McDonald residence, according to the court documents.

Cushing was arrested by Seattle police in downtown Seattle Sept. 13 and is being held in the King County Jail without bail.

The charges against Cushing declare that the crimes ``were so closely connected in respect to time, place and occasion that it would be difficult to separate proof of one charge from proof of the other. . . .''

An affidavit filed by Lee Yates, senior deputy prosecuting attorney, said Cushing often ate fruit in the residences he entered, usually through unlocked doors.

Yates said the crimes began March 8 when Cushing entered the home of Paul DeBarros on Queen Anne. The next morning DeBarros found fruit missing and also found an ax in his living room.

Police dusted the ax for fingerprints and returned it to DeBarros, who put it outside on his back porch. The ax, still with fingerprint powder on it, was stolen from the porch on March 10 or 11, the affidavit said.

Authorities say DeBarros' ax was used in the McDonald murder. McDonald was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in her upstairs bedroom. The ax was left beside the victim on the bed.

The assailant ate fruit at her home, ransacked the bedroom,

went through her purse, and left with money and jewelry.

A palm print found on a wall near a door to the bedroom was believed to belong to the killer.

In the stabbing incident in June, the victim, Ian Warren, told police he was awakened in an upstairs bedroom when someone grabbed and began stabbing at him with a hunting knife. Warren was cut twice on the left hand but was able to ward off the attacker, who fled.

On July 15 at about 4 a.m., someone entered another Queen Anne residence through an unlocked door. The occupants heard a noise but thought it was a roommate. The next morning they found ``. . . the killer is back'' written on living room walls.

Almost a week later, at about 3 a.m. July 21, Joy Marie Nelson saw a man put his head inside the living room window of her Queen Anne residence. She summoned her brother, who chased the intruder and took a photo of him before he fled, the affidavit said.

The only non-Queen Anne crime of which Cushing is accused occurred about 5 a.m. Aug. 31. Cushing is accused of entering the West Seattle home of Robert and Susan Derse.

The Derses and their daughter were asleep at the time. They found words written on walls and furniture, including ``The killer is back.'' Fruit was eaten at the residence, the affidavit said.

The intruder left an ax in the Derse home. Police found a left middle fingerprint and left palm print on one of the inside glass panels of the door leading to the porch of the Derse home. Police specialists identified the fingerprint as Cushing's, and the palm print matched the palm print left by the killer on the wall outside of Geneva McDonald's bedroom.

``That palm print belongs to the left hand of James William Cushing,'' the affidavit said.