A man apparently obsessed with a special education teacher he knew from college shot and killed her as she walked into her elementary school Friday, shortly before students began arriving. The suspect was killed in a shootout with a deputy a short time later about 10 miles away, said Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. The man had been released on bail after being arrested for violating a protective order the teacher, Jennifer Paulson, obtained in September 2008, said Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum. The victim's father, Ken Paulson, said she was kind and loving, and that's probably why she was a special education teacher. He described the 30-year-old as a devout Christian. The father said the man who killed his daughter was Jed Waits, of Ellensburg. The two had apparently known each other since she was in college, when they worked together at a cafeteria at Seattle Pacific University.
In her petition for the anti-harassment order filed in Pierce County District Court, Paulson said she and Waits occasionally socialized with co-workers and friends outside of work as a group but "never had any sort of romantic involvement."
She said she heard from Waits about once a year since she graduated from college in 2003, but on the days she heard from him, he would sometimes call 10 to 15 times in one day. Then in spring 2008, he showed up at her school, walked into the building and passed the office, where he was stopped by a secretary.

Waits had been stalking this lady for years with a very well documented record of assaults and "creepy" behavior - but the teacher was not his only focus. Several other women who rented from his parents apts (which Waits sometimes managed). They too made police reports to EPD but those reports were never given much more than a glance at the incident(s). So the question is not WHO dropped the ball and cost this woman her life and the man his; the question is HOW MANY dropped the ball. Certainly with multiple incidents EPD would have been prepared to take stronger measures: Had they shown the judge at Waits' arraignment his RECENT or long term record involving assaults and protection orders would they not have taken stronger measures, ordered a mental evaluation, or simply enforced the restraining orders Ellensburg Police were quite aware of? Clearly the presiding Judge did not "drop the ball" that Judge SPIKED the ball in a game where two people died needlessly. The PROSECUTOR: why didnt the prosecutor in Ellensburg emphasize the facts and make very clear Waits' was a danger to others and himself? Simply glancing at Waits' recent history should have given them all ample evidence to take action there was after all at least 3 cities, thier respective police depts, prosecutors, and judges involved. These same critisisms apply to each citys' judicials. CLEARLY the teacher took every possible precaution (as suggested by police) and Waits was going to do what he was determined to do if he was released; so the only real solution would have been to order a mental eval and get Waits the help he needed - they had every opportunity to do so since 2008 through 2010. Articles and interviews mention many times "Waits was a regular guy, a normal kid" and "who would have thought Waits was capable of this" - of course those comments came from a preacher (do you think a preacher would have said "that guy is a crazy stalker and assaults people") and interviewers had to go back to Jr. High and High school days for Waits to have those comments of being a regular or normal kid. Are we really expected to believe that Waits' parents were unaware of his behavior - they helped pay his bail, were contacted by police and renters, not to mention they have known him from birth. Why didnt EPD make the other renters and Waits' parents (who own the rentals thier son managed for them) aware of him.

Why didnt police after the fact do a full investigation as to what level of madness Waits had; I am not a policeman nor trained in investigations and on my own I found these things (see videos). Had they done a decent investigation and taken the time to look at his "graphic novel" artwork and storyline combined with his record/background stronger measures would have been taken.

STORY FOLLOW-UP: The day after this happend I was in a local store and chatting with the cashier (as I usually do) and she told me this story. "My landlord was shot..." and she explained. "I wonder if he had cameras in my apt could you come and check it out"?" One room had a blacklight and some of it shone on the wall, I noticed something odd and had her bring the light in closer. The video below shows only part of it all. FULL STORY is the Thursday before the shooting (friday)after weeks of not being there Waits return to his small 'mother-in-law' house about 10 yards behing a rental house Waits managed for his parents. This time he has a locksmith with him to get inside. The renter noticed that a light was on in the basement until early in the morning when she saw that his car was gone - that friday morning both were shot dead..

LOCAL REPORTS describe Waits as a "regular guy" ... not in the least true at all. He wouldnt let any female tennants have male visitors and seriously assaulted several boyfriends; Waits had been arrested several times for that as well as violating protection orders. The victim also talked to Waits' CO in the National Guard at some point.

The video shows all this and has other information as well.