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Tacoma stabbing attack suspect found guilty
A jury has found Nicholas Matthew guilty of first-degree attempted murder for an unprovoked stabbing attack on a trail at Point Defiance Park last year.
TACOMA, Wash. - A jury has reached a guilty verdict in the attempted murder trial of Nicholas Matthew, who is accused of ambushing Victoria Nizzoli on a trail at Point Defiance Park last year.
Nicholas Matthew in court after a jury found him guilty of first-degree attempted murder.
The backstory:
The conclusion of the trial follows testimony from a trauma doctor who treated Nizzoli after she was rushed to Tacoma General Hospital. The doctor described the severity of Nizzoli's injuries from the unprovoked attack, which left her with at least a dozen stab wounds.
"The initial concern is death if left untreated," Doctor Vimukta Mahadev told the jury Monday. "Those scalp injuries and bleeding, as shown by her dropping her blood pressure, would lead to cardiac arrest, and that's one thing I've seen before."
Nizzoli, 34, was stabbed multiple times in the face and neck in February 2024. She had not seen her attacker since the incident.
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Trial in Point Defiance Park stabbing close to conclusion
The attempted murder trial of a man accused of randomly attacking a woman on a trail at Tacoma's Point Defiance Park last year is nearing its end.
Matthew, who represented himself, remained silent throughout the trial. He did not cross-examine witnesses or testify. After his arrest in California, authorities believed he was attempting to flee to Taiwan.
Speaking with FOX 13 after her testimony last week, Nizzoli said Matthew’s lack of participation in the trial had fueled her anger. "I was glaring at him, like I said, there was something that hit before I had to go testify about how furious I am with this man who tried to end my life and then has the audacity to just sit there," Nizzoli said. "And I couple times I caught him smiling, just sitting there smirking and that makes me want to punch him. It makes me want a little bit— I want payback. But I realize the justice system is going to do that for me."
Matthew is scheduled to be sentenced on Sep. 26, and will be held in jail without bail until his sentencing date.
Point Defiance stabbing suspect told victim 'you need to meet your maker' during random attack: docs
The man accused of randomly stabbing a woman walking along a Point Defiance Park trail said he attacked her because he believed she was a "pedophile" and that she needed "to meet [her] maker," according to new court documents released.
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The Source: Information in this story comes Pierce County Superior Court and from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Alejandra Guzman.