Man goes to trial for 2021 domestic violence murder in Renton

Published 3:00 pm Friday, July 18, 2025

A man accused of a 2021 Renton fatal shooting of a woman he was romantically involved with is taking his second-degree murder charge to trial, citing a self-defense argument.

On July 15, the trial began for Covington man Vaughn Weems, 42, who is accused of second-degree domestic violence murder with a firearm. Prosecutors allege that Weems’ actions on Aug. 21, 2021, when he fatally shot Montisha Offord, warrant a verdict of guilty.

According to charging documents, at about 2:19 a.m. the day of Offord’s death, Weems and Offord were arguing in the parking lot of the Echo Mountain Apartments, 2223 Benson Road South. After Offord said that she would pepper spray Weems, she pulled out a pepper spray canister, and Weems shot her once before driving away from the scene. According to documents, two friends who were with Offord then drove her to Valley Medical Center, where she died about an hour after suffering a gunshot wound to her chest.

Weems and his attorney, Emily Gause, cited that Weems thought the canister of pepper spray that Offord produced looked like a gun, and the shooting was warranted lethal self-defense.

Prosecutor statements

King County prosecutor Carly Bradley said that the day of Offord’s death, Offord and Weems had been hanging out at a family barbecue in Seattle. After it was over, they and other friends went to the Cheers Bar and Grill in Renton. Bradley said that at the bar, Offord and Weems began to argue again, but eventually, Weems started driving Offord back to her home. It was during that ride that Weems then kicked her out and left her at a gas station. Offord then called another friend, who brought her home at the Echo Mountain Apartments.

Bradley said it was there that Weems arrived in his vehicle, and began to argue with again Offord. Weems then got out of the car, and Offord took steps away from him before she said she would pepper spray him, and he then shot her once.

Weems then got in his car and fled. It took 41 days for officers to find Weems and arrest him, according to Bradley.

Bradley said that when Weems shot Offord, the only threat she posed was pepper spray and a bruised ego. She said that witnesses to the event will tell the jury they clearly saw that Offord was holding pepper spray, Weems pushed Offord before he shot her, Offord was shot from a distance, not close up, and that Weems was not scared of Offord, but that he killed her because he was angry.

“By the end of this trial, once you’ve heard all the testimony and seen all the evidence, you will know that Mr. Weems was not in any danger from that lipstick-sized piece of metal,” Bradley said. “You’ll see that Mr. Weems was not actually in fear of great personal injury or death. He was just angry that this woman wouldn’t shut up. And the state is confident you will find Vaughn Weems guilty of murdering his intimate partner with a firearm.”

Defense statements

Citing as evidence of Weems’ innocence, his attorney Emily Gause said that Offord was angry and aggressive toward Weems before he shot her. Additionally, Gause said that Weems believed the pepper spray Offord had was a gun because she had been known to carry weapons, including guns, and he had to make a split-second decision when he shot her.

Gause told the jury that the prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Weems did not act in self-defense. Gause said that Weems did not want to argue with Offord, he just wanted to get away from her, and when he shot her, it was in a moment of fear when words turned to threats and threats felt like life or death.

The day of Offord’s death, she and Weems were having a good time, but as the day went on, she got more and more agitated, Gause said. She said eventually, Weems was driving Offord home, but during the ride, Offord became aggressive, yelled, poked and hit Weems, so he asked her to get out of his car. She said after this, Offord texted Weems angrily.

Gause said that when Weems went to the apartment complex where Offord was, he was with a friend in the car, laughing, and he did not know Offord was going to arrive and be angry. She said that Offord then yelled at Weems, telling her that she had people who would protect her.

“At the end of this trial, we will ask you to return a verdict that reflects that reality that Vaughn acted in self-defense and that he used reasonable force in response to an unreasonable and terrifying threat. The evidence will show you that this is not murder,” Gause said. “It was not retaliation, it was survival. Vaughn didn’t want to fight, he just wanted to get away. Vaughn acted in self-defense. Because of that, Vaughn is not guilty.”