Man who fatally stabbed JBLM soldier in South Hill sentenced to 31 years

TACOMA – A 30-year-old man was sentenced to 31 years in prison Friday for stabbing to death a soldier who was trying to break up a domestic fight at a South Hill home in 2014.

The Pierce County Superior Court judge said she was sentencing Chase Harrison Devyver to the high end of the sentencing range, in part, because he showed no remorse.

In April, a jury convicted Devyver of murder, assault, robbery, and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 19, 2014, Devyver and his girlfriend, Laura Reneer, were sitting in a parked car in front of their residence in South Hill arguing about their relationship.

When Reneer exited the vehicle and walked into the house, Devyver followed and stabbed her from behind. Reneer’s screams woke up soldier Shawn Woods, who was sleeping in another room. He intervened and Devyver stabbed him, too.

Devyver then took a gun from another room and demanded Reneer’s credit card. He hit her in the head with the gun, took her keys, and stole her car.

­­­Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies spotted the vehicle on 176th Street East. Devyver led police on a pursuit that reached speeds in excess of 90 mph. Devyver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a power pole. After he climbed out of the vehicle, he told deputies to shoot him. He was tased and arrested.

When he addressed the court Friday, Devyver said he didn’t remember what happened that night.