Boyfriend charged in death of Kirkland woman
Charging papers filed by King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng state that Nicholas Dana Burham killed Emily May Jacobson in the Kirkland apartment where the two lived, about a week after she told him that she wanted to break up.
If convicted, Burham faces 10 to 18 years in prison.
Jacobson's death came to light early Friday morning after Burham drove his red Toyota Tercel into a crash barrier on Highway 520 at the eastbound 51st Street exit in Redmond at 4:15 a.m.
An aid crew took Burham to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and on the way he told the crew that he had choked his girlfriend in Kirkland, according to the charging papers.
Police were alerted and minutes later found Jacobson's body in the apartment.
The papers say Burham told police that Jacobson had been moving out of the couple's apartment in the 11700 block of 100th Avenue Northeast, and he came home from work early on Thursday in hopes of seeing her. When Jacobson arrived, Burham said, he tried to prevent her from leaving, but Jacobson insisted on going.
"I just lost it!" Burham told police, saying he squeezed Jacobson's neck with his hands. He told police he panicked when she went limp and he tried to commit suicide by cutting himself with a knife, then crashing his car, then stabbing himself in the stomach, the papers say.
The couple's apartment is close to the Juanita home where Jacobson grew up, said family friend Anthony Thompson. He described her as a bright person who was devoted to her family and participated in several Kirkland church and youth groups.
"When not in church groups, she was always with her mother and sister," Thompson said.
Friends remember her as a talented athlete who excelled in softball and soccer. She was soft-spoken and free-spirited and loved listening to music and dancing, they said.
Friend Carrie Nelson, 20, said Jacobson worked at various jobs, even while still at school.
Mallory Bosh, another friend, said Jacobson hoped to one day become a nurse. In recent years, she had put God at the center of her life and enjoyed Christian music, she said.
"She was a warm person who was fearless and who thought the sky was the limit," Bosh said.
Jacobson attended The City Church in Kirkland, where she was part of a Bible study cadre and was once a camp counselor for city kids.
Mili Nelson, Carrie Nelson's mother, said Jacobson made some bad choices at one point and dropped out of Lake Washington High School. But she was determined to do better and redoubled her night study efforts at B.E.S.T. High School. She graduated last year, then began taking night courses at Bellevue Community College while working.
Jacobson is survived by her mother, Kyong Jacobson, of Kirkland; her sister, Amy Jacobson; and her father, James Jacobson, of Tigard, Ore.
A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow at City Church in Kirkland. Family and friends have set up a memorial fund in Jacobson's name at Wells Fargo Bank, with the money to be used to help defray funeral expenses.
Jon Savelle: 206-464-2216
Nick Perry: 206-515-5639