Caitlin Follstad Obituary – The Anacortes Police Department (APD) is currently investigating the homicide of a primary school teacher who was discovered fatally stabbed in her residence on Tuesday. Authorities have confirmed that the victim, Caitlin Follstad, 41, was a teacher at Island View Elementary, where she taught fifth grade.
Upon receiving a distress call from a man reporting the discovery of his daughter-in-law’s lifeless body at their residence on J Avenue around 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday, the police promptly responded. The caller also expressed concerns about his son, who is married to Follstad, potentially being suicidal and heading towards the Deception Pass bridge.
Upon arrival, officers secured the crime scene and found the deceased woman, aged 41, with multiple stab wounds. They subsequently conducted a thorough search of the premises and discovered that the residents’ vehicle was missing. Washington State Patrol troopers later located the vehicle on the center island of the Deception Pass bridge.
The APD has designated Follstad’s husband, Kevin Follstad, 41, as a “person of interest” in connection with her murder. Although he has not yet been located, the police are utilizing search dogs from Snohomish County to aid in their search efforts.
Additionally, authorities have reported that multiple agencies responded to a report of a body in the water near Deception Pass, but have been unable to recover the body thus far. While the police suspect a potential link to the murder investigation, they have yet to confirm this.
According to the APD, they had received a call in March regarding the suspect’s mental health concerns, but there have been no other significant incidents or reports of violence involving the couple. In a statement, officials from the Anacortes School District expressed their condolences to Caitlin’s family, friends, students, and colleagues, highlighting her dedication to education as a teacher, mentor, and friend at Island View Elementary. The district has also arranged for grief counselors to be available to students and staff as needed during this challenging period.
