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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, March 23, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 2, 2004 Leora Rae Seward Sister calls suspect in knife death mentally ill By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune ASHLAND — The city’s second murder in a month was the work of a 28-year-old woman who fatally stabbed a male visitor at her Terra Avenue apartment, police said. Leora Rae Seward phoned 9-1-1 at about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to report an accidental stabbing inside her apartment at 725 Terra Ave., said Ashland police Deputy Chief Rich Walsh. Officers went to space 19B at the Tudor Square apartment complex and discovered the body of Samuel Steven Rath, 23, of Ashland. Investigators believe Seward stabbed Rath with a knife before phoning police, Walsh said. "They were acquaintances, but we’re not sure at this point what their relationship was," Walsh said. "We don’t know the motivation for this crime. That’s something we’re trying to figure out." Ashland police Sgt. Teresa Selby said Seward told investigators very little about the incident upon her arrest late Tuesday. Advertisement "She was emotional and it was difficult to get a lot of information from her," Selby said. Seward was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Jackson County Circuit Court on a first-degree murder charge. She is being held in the Jackson County Jail without bail. Police have recovered a knife believed to have been used in the stabbing. Walsh would not reveal how many times Rath was stabbed, saying investigators would know more about his injuries after an autopsy scheduled for today. It was unclear whether Seward and Rath had been involved in an altercation before the stabbing. "(Seward) was being examined for injuries when she was taken into custody," Walsh said. "She did have blood on her, but we’re not sure if it was hers or his." Seward shared a common living area at her apartment with several other women. A woman who answered the door at the neighboring room Wednesday afternoon identified herself as a Southern Oregon University official and said French exchange students who lived there "were up all night" and did not wish to speak with a reporter. A Tudor Square apartment manager also declined to comment. Char Seward, the suspect’s older sister, said in a telephone conversation Wednesday that her sibling suffers from borderline personality disorder. Leora Seward moved to Ashland last summer after spending six months in a state-operated mental health facility in Napa County, Calif., said her sister, also of Ashland. "Our whole family agrees she never should have been released," she said. "Somebody told me that everything happens for a reason, and I really want to believe this is how she will get the help she needs and deserves," Char Seward said. "I want people to understand that yes, she made someone else a victim, but I believe she’s a victim herself." Char Seward said she did not know anything about her sister’s relationship with Rath. Leora Seward was convicted last month in Circuit Court of misdemeanor physical harassment in connection with a September incident in which Char Seward is listed as the victim, according to court records. Leora Seward has no previous felony convictions in Oregon, court records show. Ashland had gone more than eight years without a reported homicide until Oct. 29, when the body of transient David Rice, 68, was found in a room at the Relax Inn on Clover Lane. Police said Rice, classified by parole officials as a predatory sex offender, was bludgeoned to death. A suspect in the case, David Michael Jurich, 24, was arrested in Reno, Nev., four days after Rice’s body was found. Jurich is being held in jail on a murder charge, awaiting trial. "It’s very unusual and unfortunate," Selby said of Ashland’s two recent homicides. "It’s a surprise to have it happen within a month, considering our last murder was eight years ago." Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Reporter Bill Choy contributed to this report. 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