03:37 PM PST on Wednesday, February 9, 2005

By JIM PARKER, kgw.com Staff

KGW

James Classen (left) is accused of killing his estranged wife.

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Court documents filed Wednesday allege that a prominent dentist in Clark County admitted killing his estranged wife by repeatedly stabbing her with scissors in her Vancouver home.

Dr. James N. Classen, 59, made an initial court appearance Wednesday on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 56-year old Eveann M. Classen. He was being held in the Clark County jail on $3 million bail.

Dr. Classen, a well-known Battle Ground dentist, was arrested after being questioned and reportedly confessing following the discovery of his wife's body inside her home at 500 NE 154th Street about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Sheriff's Sgt. Donald Polen carachterized the death of Mrs. Classen, an instructor at Mount Hood Community College, as a "domestic violence-related homicide."

KGW

Eveann Classen.

An arrest declaration filed with the court by the sheriff's office outlined Dr. Classen's purported confession, which occured during an interrogation by investigators.

In the document, detectives said Dr. Classen admitted entering his estranged wife's home through an unlocked backdoor.

"He walked into the sewing room and removed a pair of scissors from the wall, then went into the master bedroom, turning on the light; he proceeded to stab her numerous times with the scissors," the court declaration said.

After stabbing his wife, the document said Dr. Classen told detectives he drove to his home on NE 105th Ave. near 4th Plain to change out of his bloody clothes and shower. The dentist then reportedly went to a cabin he owns in Skamania County, "where he wrapped his bloody clothes in a towel with the scissors and hid the items on his property."

The "probable cause to arrest" document indicates that Dr. Classen called a friend and told that person that he had stabbed his estranged wife. The friend then called sheriff's dispatchers and told them that Mrs. Classen had been "injured."

James and Eveann Classen were married for 31 years, although they had been separated for the past two years. The couple had grown children, authorities said.

Dr. Classen received his dental license in 1975 and opened his practice over 15 years ago. His upscale Battle Ground office at Main Street and 20th Ave. was closed Wednesday.

(KGW reporter Sam Louie and the AP contributed to this report.)