Slain SeaTac woman's baby being cared for by family

POULSBO, Wash. -- The cousin of the SeaTac woman who was murdered Tuesday night spoke about the incident that left a 2-month-old baby without his parents, and the life-changing phone call she received.

“It’s hard… because he shouldn’t be in my arms like this," Ashley Ah Chan said.

Chan’s life took a very unexpected turn, but it was one she welcomed with open arms.

“I am grateful that he is, and he’s not in somebody else's arms in a foster home.”

Child Protective Services contacted Ashley Wednesday.

“I was the only person who responded to a Facebook message that I got from CPS, because they couldn’t find her next of kin. So, it was me.”

Ashley got the news that she would be getting custody of her cousin Adele Ah Chan’s 2-month-old baby.

“Those maternal instincts kick in and you just do it. You know, you don’t ask questions, you just do it.”

The only questions she has, are for the man police say killed her cousin, the man Ashley says Adele was engaged to.

“I really would like to know the reason he took her off this earth. Because she was better here than anywhere else.”

Timothy Jackson, 59, was charged with first-degree murder.

"I’m glad he’s he’s getting punished for what he did, because he didn’t just kill someone, he killed Adele."

Officials say Jackson has had a history of domestic violence issues in the past, just not with Adele.

“I don’t think he understands how important of a person she was to everybody. I don’t think he understand the impact he made on people’s lives.”

While 2-month-old JD will probably not remember his mom, Ashley says "he will grow up knowing who his mom was and how much she loved him and cared for him and did everything for him."

Ashley is determined to keep her memory alive.

“She was kind, she was happy, she always had this big smile on her face. She loved to sing, she loved to sing to him."

It has only been a few days, and it could be months or even a year before Adele’s parents can get custody of JD because they live in Hawaii. So, in the meantime, Ashley is doing her best.

“I do play him Hawaiian music, I’m gonna put up pictures of her and everything—keep her relevant. Maybe she’s there maybe she’s looking at him, playing the ukulele singing along.”

The GoFundMepages are to help get Adele back to Hawaii so the family can give her a proper funeral, at home.