Psych Travel Nurse Charged With Murder After 78-Year-Old Landlord Found Stabbed to Death

A 31-year-old travel nurse from Virginia is facing murder charges in Alaska after her landlord was found stabbed to death earlier this week inside their shared home north of Soldotna.

LaShaunda Lewis, who had been working as a psychiatric nurse at Central Peninsula Hospital, is charged with:

• One count of first-degree domestic violence murder
  
  
• Two counts of second-degree domestic violence murder

She had been renting a room in the home of John “Skip” Dove Jr., a 78-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War. Dove lived off Sports Lake Road, just north of Soldotna. He was an avid golfer, once winning a car for hitting a hole-in-one at Kenai Golf Course.

Troopers Called for Welfare Check

The Alaska State Troopers say they first went to the home on Monday evening, August 4, after Lewis’ mother requested a welfare check. She told authorities that her daughter had appeared emotional and confused during a FaceTime call that morning, then stopped responding to messages.

When troopers arrived, they found Lewis alert but disoriented. She told them she didn’t understand what was happening. Dove, who also spoke with troopers at the time, said Lewis appeared unwell. However, Lewis declined “offers for immediate access to mental health resources.” She had no documented history of mental or behavioral health issues, according to her family.

No arrests or detentions were made that night, and troopers left the home.

Landlord Found Dead After 911 Call

On Tuesday around 4 p.m., a 911 call came from a phone registered to Dove. A woman on the line was crying, breathing heavily, and difficult to understand, according to the documents. She told dispatchers that the police couldn’t help her. About 15 minutes later, troopers returned to the house and found Lewis naked, bleeding, and suffering from what appeared to be self-inflicted stab wounds.

Inside the home, they found Dove’s body on the floor. He was cold to the touch and had multiple stab wounds. Charging documents say blood was found in several locations throughout the home, and that both a bloodstained walking stick and a kitchen knife were recovered. The knife was found in a bed and was described as “consistent with the sizing of the wounds.”

Nurse Admitted to Causing Victim’s Death

Lewis was taken to Central Peninsula Hospital for medical treatment. According to the documents, she later told troopers she had been feeling confused since the weekend but had not taken any substances other than her prescribed medication.

Charging documents describe a video found on one of the phones in the home that captured Lewis whispering, “Help me,” and “He tried to kill me.” However, investigators noted that during interviews, Lewis did not accuse Dove of harming her and did not deny causing his death.

In her statement to troopers, Lewis admitted to causing Dove’s death and said she wanted to understand why. She described a “struggle” but also said she had difficulty remembering parts of what happened.

Court records show she was arraigned Thursday morning, August 7. As of that evening, no additional court dates were listed in the Alaska Court System database.

The investigation remains ongoing. Nurse.org will continue to update this article as details are released. 

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below!