In a quiet Vancouver, Washington neighborhood, the life of Ada Marjama, a 28-year-old Caucasian mother of three, was brought to a tragic and violent end on the evening of June 28, 2016. Known also as Amanda Gayle Marjama, she was fatally shot in the bathroom of her home. The weeks leading up to the incident were fraught with marital turmoil. Marjama had recently discovered her husband, Todd Marjama, was engaged in an extramarital affair, leading to escalating arguments and a tense atmosphere
within their shared home. Family members grew increasingly concerned for her safety, particularly on the day of her death when Todd was seen waving a handgun. Despite their pleas for her to seek a restraining order, Ada had not done so.
The simmering conflict reached its devastating climax when a gunshot echoed from the master bedroom. Ada's brother, Donald Bestpitch, who was present in the home along with the couple's three young children, discovered Todd in the bedroom with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his hand. Moments later, Ada's aunt, Helen Lewis, made the horrific discovery of Ada's body in the adjoining bathroom; she had been shot in the forehead. In the immediate aftermath, Todd Marjama attempted to flee the scene but was swiftly apprehended by law enforcement officers a few blocks away from the residence.
Following his capture, Todd Marjama was transported to a hospital for treatment of his hand injury before being formally charged with the first-degree murder of his wife. He was also charged with first-degree assault in relation to his two-year-old daughter. At his arraignment, Todd pleaded not guilty to the charges. The ensuing legal proceedings revealed a history of domestic strife, with family members testifying that Todd had previously threatened to kill his wife and their children. During the trial, the prosecution argued that the shooting was an intentional act of violence stemming from a heated argument. Conversely, the defense contended that the gun had discharged accidentally as Todd was attempting to decock it, with the bullet passing through his hand and the bathroom door before striking his wife. His defense team also introduced testimony regarding his military service, suggesting that post-traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury were contributing factors to the tragic events of that day.
Ultimately, a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the charge of first-degree murder. Instead, Todd Marjama was convicted of first-degree manslaughter. In January 2019, a judge sentenced him to 16 and a half years in prison. During the sentencing, the judge pointedly reminded Todd of his prior statements to detectives in which he claimed he would never do anything to take his children's mother away from them, a promise shattered by his actions. The judge concluded that the circumstances of the case did not merit any leniency. The couple's three children, who were home at the time of the shooting and whose youngest daughter was in the bathroom with her mother when she was killed, were left to grapple with the profound and lasting trauma of their mother's violent death.
