Mountlake Terrace man sentenced to 23 years in 2018 killing

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — A 46-year-old Mountlake Terrace man was sentenced to 23 years and two months in prison for killing a 29-year-old woman in 2018.

Prosecutors argued it was a “revenge” killing after David Nieuwenhuis blamed Candice Black for the overdose death of his stepson, who was dating Black. His attorneys claimed he was in the “fight for his life” after Black hit him with an iPad, the Everett Herald reported.

On Nov. 11, 2018, Nieuwenhuis told Black to pick up her belongings from his home, where she had been staying with his stepson, Kyle Johnson, court papers said. She took the bus from Seattle.

Nieuwenhuis said he told Black he had found evidence she had been dealing drugs with Johnson. He said he was going tell the police, according to court documents. Nieuwenhuis said that’s when Black struck with him the iPad.

His attorneys argued he acted in self-defense when he grabbed a maple stick from behind his front door and hit Black with it. The two ended up outside. Nieuwenhuis left Black out there, went back and fell asleep, court documents said.

Hours later, he called 911. He said Black was lying in the driveway and he may have killed her. At trial, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder.