Yelm area man found dead with stab wound

Bail was set at $1 million on Thursday for a suspect accused of killing a man in the Yelm area on Wednesday.

Tony Allen Bolton, 50, appeared Thursday in Thurston County Superior Court on one count of second-degree murder. His arraignment is set for Sept. 29.

The 52-year-old male victim has been identified as Ross E. Yardley. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday, according to the coroner.

About 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thurston County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at a home in the 19800 block of 161st Way Southeast. The victim was found unresponsive and lying face down on the porch. Medics on the scene confirmed that the man was dead, according to court documents.

A woman identified as the victim’s girlfriend told deputies that the victim knew Bolton from prison and had allowed Bolton to stay in a trailer on the property. Bolton had been living on the property for six to seven weeks, according to court documents.

The stabbing may have taken place during an argument between the victim and Bolton over missing personal items, according to the sheriff’s office.

Bolton was arrested at the scene. While he was being transported to jail, Bolton was talking out loud to himself, saying things like “today was a good day” and “they took $300 of mine and it caused problems,” according to court documents.

At Thursday’s hearing, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mark Thompson said Bolton is a transient with no official address. He noted that Bolton has 20 felony convictions since 1981, including convictions for first-degree robbery, escape and extortion.

“The court finds Mr. Bolton is indeed a danger to the community,” said Judge James Dixon.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Yelm area man found dead with stab wound."