Family and friends will gather Wednesday evening to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Ruth Dalton’s death, honoring the 80-year-old dog walker who was killed during a carjacking in Madison Valley.
The public memorial service begins at 5:30 p.m. near 43rd Avenue East and Madison Street, where the city will install a plaque honoring Dalton and her dog Prince on a bench overlooking Madison Park Beach. The ceremony will be followed by a “Yappy Hour” at McGilvra’s, with attendees encouraged to bring their dogs.
Dalton was killed on August 20, 2024, while preparing to walk her clients’ dogs when Jahmed Haynes approached her parked car on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, forced his way inside, and drove over her after she was pushed from the vehicle. Prince was found stabbed to death in a nearby park where Haynes abandoned Dalton’s stolen car.
Haynes, a repeat convicted felon with previous convictions for vehicular homicide, robbery, and assault, was arrested the next day. Police found his fingerprints in Dalton’s car and a knife with blood and animal hair at the time of his arrest. Investigators said the attack was random with no known connection between Haynes and Dalton.
In 2003, Haynes attacked a corrections officer at Monroe State Penitentiary, a conviction that could have triggered Washington’s “three strikes” law resulting in life imprisonment. However, prosecutors accepted a plea agreement that reduced the charge, and he was released in 2017.
The legal proceedings have been complicated by competency evaluations. Initially found incompetent to stand trial, Haynes was deemed competent in December 2024 but his status changed again in April 2025, reportedly due to his refusal to take medication. He remains at Western State Hospital with his next competency hearing scheduled for this fall.
Melanie Roberts, Dalton’s granddaughter, expressed frustration that the case has made no progress toward trial one year later. She has advocated for “Ruth’s Law” that would eliminate plea negotiations for third-strike violent felonies to prevent similar cases.
“She was full of life until the very end,” Roberts said. “I want people to know she was strong in her love of animals and her fight for animals.” Wednesday’s memorial aims to celebrate Dalton’s life and passion for animal welfare while providing the community an opportunity to honor her memory.
