‘I killed her.’ Pierce County man charged with killing his ex-wife appears in court

A Pierce County man threatened to kill his ex-wife several times during and after their marriage before she was found deceased on Friday , according to charging documents.

Prosecutors charged Ronald Eugene Krier, 53, with first-degree murder of his ex-wife, a 53-year-old woman found inside her Bonney Lake home Friday.

A plea of not guilty was entered on Krier’s behalf during his arraignment on Monday. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Philip Thornton set his bail at $2 million.

Krier also was charged with felony harassment after his ex-wife previously accused him of threatening to kill her. She told detectives in June 2023 that she served him divorce papers and he then confronted her, saying he was going to kill her, charging documents show.

Krier’s bail was set at $50,000 for the felony harassment charge.

Charging details

Krier’s daughter reported to 911 at 3:32 p.m. that her father texted her that he had killed her mother. He allegedly stated that he unlocked the front door to her mother’s house so that medical personnel could find her, prosecutors wrote.

Detectives later received the text messages that allegedly said:

• “Your mom is dead yes I did it call your brother so he dont get home and find her she is dead will be soon.”
• “I left door unlocked so medics can take her awawy. I need titans phone out of ur truck.”
• “Your mom is dead I killed her (sic).”
• “I am heading to Alaska. Your mom is dead she is on the follor in living sorry became to much she talked about boyfriend I lost it.”

Pierce County deputies were dispatched to the home in the 20300 block of 113th Street East for a welfare check. The woman’s vehicle was still parked in the driveway. Deputies found the woman lying on her back in the living room when they entered the home. She was declared deceased at the scene, prosecutors wrote.

Prosecutors wrote there were several partly melted ice cubes scattered nearby.

Deputies noticed a small abrasion on her neck. There was dried blood on her right shoulder and inner thigh. Her hair was above her head as if she had been dragged. An autopsy later showed that she was possibly strangled, prosecutors wrote.

Surveillance footage from the woman’s front door showed her on her porch when Krier backed his truck into the driveway at 2:35 p.m, documents show. At 2:57 p.m., the woman was holding a cup that deputies found inside the home with the scattered ice cubes. The woman and Krier were heard arguing in the footage before he followed her inside the home.

Krier was seen leaving the home at 3:15 p.m. His daughter told deputies she received the texts from her father at 3:22 p.m., prosecutors wrote.

Auburn police officers arrested Krier later that day. He appeared to have blood on his shirt and scratches on his cheeks and chest, prosecutors wrote. Krier allegedly told officers, “at least the [expletive] is dead.”

Krier allegedly made several statements about the scratches saying, “You can see it on my face where she attacked me. She [explicit] me up. She put her thumb in my eye and everything.”

Detectives learned that the woman obtained a protection order on July 20, 2023 that prohibited Krier from contacting her. Law enforcement investigated Krier’s numerous violations of that protection order between July 14, 2023 to Sept. 9 2023, documents show.

Krier had contacted the woman through social media and text. He allegedly showed up at her work at Safeway, demanding that she put him back on her phone plan after she filed for divorce. When she threatened to call the police, he allegedly said, “You’re done [explicit], you’re gonna die.”

The woman said that Krier allegedly made a slashing motion across his neck. The woman also reported to law enforcement that Krier previously assaulted her and left bruises on her body the previous week. He threatened to kill her then too, prosecutors wrote.

The woman said she feared for her life and thought he would carry out that threat, documents show.

Krier was charged with second-degree assault and convicted in 2011 after he hit the woman in the face with the butt of a rifle. Documents indicate that Krier told their son at the time, “Give your mom a hug and kiss goodbye because it’s the last time you’re going to see her breathing.”

When the son left, Krier allegedly told the woman she was going to die and got out his rifle and ammunition. He then fired two rounds into the wall over her head. After that, they wrestled, and he allegedly struck her in the face with the gun, prosecutors wrote.

The woman’s outstanding protection order against Krier expired shortly before the homicide, prosecutors wrote.