Mother And Girl, 4, Killed -- 2 Other Children Injured; Suspect Arrested

PORT ORCHARD - When sirens pierced the predawn hours along rural Woods Road East yesterday, neighbors thought someone was sick, or police were off to chase after a burglar somewhere else. Many rolled over and went back to sleep.

But as they woke and headed to church, or spoke with neighbors and friends, they learned of the predawn assault that left a mother and her 4-year-old daughter dead and two other children stabbed repeatedly.

As the day grew older, news spread that police had arrested a suspect - a neighbor from a mile or so down the street.

"There is no understanding, is there?" said Judy Morgan, who lives near the scene of the murders, about 5 miles east of Port Orchard.

"Do you really understand why the child had to be killed?"

Police believe the answer is drugs.

Kelly Uhl, 33, and her daughter, Mellisa Uhl, died shortly after 6 a.m. when they were stabbed by a man who police think knew the family and came to the house to steal cocaine, Kitsap County Sheriff Pat Jones said.

Kristy Livermore, Uhl's 10-year-old daughter, suffered about 20 stab wounds and was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center where she was in serious condition today. Ron Livermore, Uhl's 11-year-old son, was stabbed about 10 times and was in satisfactory condition at Harborview.

Police said Uhl's husband is stationed with the military in Florida.

Shortly after the stabbings, police found the suspect huddled in the attic of his nearby home, wearing blood-stained clothes and smoking crack cocaine. Jones said the man would likely be charged today with first-degree murder and first-degree assault.

Police believe the suspect was already high on drugs in the predawn hours when he arrived at Uhl's home carrying a steak knife. Angela Eidsmoe, 25, a friend who was staying with Uhl, told police she was assaulted by the man in the front yard. He entered the house and she ran to a neighbor's to call 911.

By the time police arrived, they saw a man driving out of the wooded driveway, but he eluded a deputy. In the meantime, Ron Livermore stumbled from the house, told police the name of the attacker and led police to victims inside the house.

Police say evidence indicates Kelly Uhl was killed first, then Mellisa, who was asleep on the couch. When the older children awoke, they were stabbed.

"Everything happened real quick, and we were right there," Jones said.

A neighbor told police the suspect often hung around Uhl's house.

The suspect was arrested for a drug violation in 1993 and had undergone treatment for drug addiction, Jones said.