On an otherwise ordinary Monday morning, August 15, 2016, the life of 45-year-old Brenda Kolbet was tragically cut short in Spokane Valley, Washington. A Caucasian female, Brenda had recently relocated from Idaho to be closer to her family, seeking a fresh start and a safe environment to raise her young son. That morning, as she was securing her 7-year-old son in his car seat, a black Dodge Dart pulled up, blocking her vehicle in the driveway.
The driver was her estranged ex-boyfriend, Gilberto Delgado.
An argument erupted between Brenda and Delgado, a man she had recently broken up with after discovering his violent criminal past. The confrontation quickly escalated, and Brenda ran into the house she shared with her brother, Daniel Kenison. Delgado pursued her, and moments later, the sound of gunshots echoed through the home. Brenda's son, who had witnessed the argument from the car, bravely unbuckled himself and entered the house to a horrific scene. He found his mother and uncle on the floor, both having suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Showing incredible composure, the young boy found his uncle's phone and dialed 911, identifying his mother's ex-boyfriend as the assailant.
When Spokane County sheriff's deputies arrived at the home on South Michigan Road, they discovered Brenda Kolbet deceased from multiple gunshot wounds and her brother, Daniel Kenison, also 45, dead from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Delgado had already fled the scene in his car. The subsequent investigation quickly focused on Gilberto Delgado as the prime suspect, a man described as possessive, having tattooed Brenda's name on his forearm after only a short time together.
A manhunt for Delgado ensued, and he was apprehended the following day in Blackfoot, Idaho. He was extradited back to Washington to face charges for the double homicide. In August 2019, Gilberto Delgado pleaded guilty to two counts of premeditated murder. For his crimes, he was sentenced to 36 years in prison, bringing a measure of legal closure to the family and friends devastated by the violent loss of Brenda Kolbet and her brother.
