Washington Man Allegedly Mowed Down Girlfriend In Car And Fled Scene With Body Dangling Out Of Open Door

A Washington man is accused of intentionally driving over his girlfriend and killing her, hours after the couple supposedly celebrated the woman’s birthday.

Cordonte Walker, 23, allegedly had numerous shots of tequila before he got behind the wheel and repeatedly plowed over Lurdes Keymolen with his 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix last week, police said.

On Aug. 27, authorities were dispatched to a residence in southeast Kent, Washington shortly before 4 a.m. regarding a firearms call, according to charging documents obtained by Oxygen.com.

The caller, an eyewitness who was smoking a cigarette outside his home, told dispatchers he saw a man strike a woman with his car. The witness, who was armed, claimed to be holding the man at gunpoint in his car to prevent him from leaving the scene. 

Lurdes Keymolen Photo: Facebook

During the 911 call, however, Kent police say the driver stepped on the gas and sped away — prompting the caller to fire multiple rounds at the tires of the car. 

Law enforcement later found the driver, who they identified as Walker, in a nearby parking lot. Walker, who police said was “sweating profusely,” claimed to have just woken up. He was only wearing one red shoe and a single sock on his other foot. He later allegedly admitted to ditching his vehicle behind a chiropractic office. 

There, police discovered Walker’s 2001 Grand Prix, and inside, Keymolen’s body. She was wearing only underwear. A black dress and red shoe were also found at the scene.

Walker told investigators that the couple of two years had celebrated Keymolen’s birthday earlier that evening. Following dinner, Walker allegedly admitted he had half a dozen shots of tequila and dozed off at his in-laws' house. 

After departing Keymolen’s parent’s home, Walker said, the couple got into a “heated” dispute. As they approached their apartment complex, he said Keymolen, who was driving, pulled over and began walking in the direction of their residence. 

At this point, Walker told detectives he got behind the wheel, accelerated toward his girlfriend, and demanded she get in the car. Walker claimed she refused so he drove away, “accidentally” hitting Keymolen in the process.

Walker then said he tried to put his girlfriend in the front seat of his vehicle in order to transport her to the hospital but was shot at by the 911 caller. He claimed he fled the scene in an attempt to drive Keymolen to the hospital but had stopped on the way in an attempt to wake her up. He said he “bit her in the face” and slapped her “several times to get her to wake up,” according to the case’s charging documents. 

Walker denied assaulting his girlfriend before he ran her over with his car.   

The witness who initially contacted police later identified Walker as the driver who collided with Keymolen. His account, however, varied drastically from Walker’s version of events.

Prior to the collision, the man said he witnessed Walker punching Keymolen in the face as she laid on the ground in a neighbor’s yard “screaming for help.”

“I want all my s--t back,” Walker told her, according to the witness. “Calm down, calm down or I’m going to put you down,” he allegedly added.

Moments later, Walker got in the driver’s seat and accelerated at Keymolen, according to the 911 caller. Walker then allegedly got out, approached his motionless girlfriend, slapped her face, and told her "wake up, bitch, wake up."

The bystander added that Keymolen’s legs were hanging out of the open passenger door as he sped away.

Surveillance footage, which also showed Walker’s car hitting his girlfriend, largely corroborated the anonymous bystander’s account, according to police.

Authorities later retrieved a semi-automatic Glock pistol from Keymolen’s purse, which they determined belonged to Walker. 

The Washington woman, who was pronounced dead, suffered blunt force trauma to much of her body, medical examiners stated. She also sustained a broken pelvis and jaw, as well as several fractured ribs, which caused massive internal bleeding. An autopsy suggested the 23-year-old’s facial injuries, including a black eye, bite marks, and a cut lip, were inflicted while she was still alive. 

Walker was charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was booked into a King County detention center on Aug. 27, online jail records show.

John B. Castleton Jr., a King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, characterized Keymolen’s death as “callous” and “premeditated.” 

“After threatening and beating the victim with his fists, [Walker] killed [Keymolen] by intentionally running her over with his car,” Castleton wrote in a case summary obtained by Oxygen.com. 

The 23-year-old has a history of alleged domestic violence, prosecutors said. 

In July 2018, Walker allegedly punched a different woman several times and threw her into a cluster of bushes in a Starbucks parking lot. The victim, Walker’s then-girlfriend, also complained that he bit her on the back. She later secured an active protective order against him. Following the incident, Walker was barred from owning firearms.

The 2018 case bears “striking similarities” to factors in Keymolen’s alleged killing, officials said. 

Keymolen's suspected slaying marks the 11th domestic violence murder in King County this year.

Walker, who is from the Seattle suburb of Renton, also had an active warrant for his arrest out of Pacific County at the time of Keymolen’s death. 

Walker is being held on a $2 million bond, according to a warrant order obtained by Oxygen.com. It’s unclear if he’s secured legal counsel.

A spokesperson for the Kent Police Department wasn’t immediately available for comment on Wednesday.