Federal Way man charged in bleeding death of wife

A Federal Way man accused of leaving his dead wife in their bathroom for five days has been charged with manslaughter.

According to the King County medical examiner's office, 63-year-old Cheri Stewart bled to death, probably from a broken nose. Investigators add that prescription blood thinners may have worsened the bleeding. Her body was found Monday by her employer.

On Thursday her husband of 34 years, 63-year-old Kermit Stewart was charged with manslaughter. He remains at the Regional Justice Center in Kent with bail set at $1 million.

Prosecutors write that Stewart told police the two got into a fight. According to investigators, he was reluctant to report the death because he feared he would be blamed and had been trying to kill himself since she died.

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