A Randle man was charged with one count of second-degree assault, domestic violence, during a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday, July 14.
The charge is a Class B felony punishable by a fine up to $20,000 and 10 years in prison.
According to the declaration of probable cause filed by prosecutors, Zachary Howard Bynum, 53, allegedly assaulted his girlfriend at Riffe Lake on July 13.
Following his preliminary hearing, Bynum remained in custody with a domestic violence no-contact order for the victim in place. Due to his extensive criminal record, Clark County Superior Court Judge David Gregerson — who was sitting in for Lewis County Superior Court Judge Joely Yeager — set Bynum’s bail at $500,000.
His arraignment was set for July 24.
Prosecutors initially asked for $1 million in bail, again citing Bynum’s extensive criminal history. His criminal history includes 2013 kidnapping and assault charges where Bynum forced a woman into his truck while wielding a machete in Glenoma, and 2023 assault charges where Bynum attempted to suffocate a woman briefly before threatening her with a knife when she tried to escape after attempting to fix her door at her Centralia residence, as previously reported by The Chronicle.
Bynum told Gregerson he would need a court-appointed attorney, and defense attorney Rachel Tiller informed Gregerson it would take a few days to find one as, “Mr. Bynym in the past has had a conflict with several local attorneys.”
If convicted on this charge, the offense is considered a strike offense and would be Bynum’s third strike after he was already facing a potential third strike but pleaded guilty to assault in the third degree following his 2023 charges, according to the prosecuting attorney.
“I have prosecuted Mr. Bynum for many years,” Chief Deputy prosecutor William Halstead said.
Bynum also has an extensive history of mental illness and has undergone multiple competency examinations as he has been committed to the Western State Hospital in the past for treatment of a schizophrenia-type condition, The Chronicle previously reported.
Halstead also mentioned Bynum’s mental health issues and his conflicts with previous defense attorneys. He asked for bail to be set at $1 million along with a domestic violence no-contact order.
“He has obviously been convicted of multiple felonies. We don’t need to do a surrender of firearms because he’s not permitted to have firearms in any case,” Halstead said.
Given he currently lives on disability and does not live with the victim, Tiller asked for no bail, as he would not have the means to post it.
Considering Bynum’s prior criminal history and the probable cause statement, Gregerson had concerns for the victim’s safety still and set Bynum’s bail at $500,000.
Bynum first came under investigation for the new charges in the early morning hours of July 13, when Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to an assault call in Glenoma, according to the probable cause statement.
The reporting party was the victim’s mother, who told deputies that Bynum had allegedly assaulted the woman around 45 minutes prior to the 911 call at Riffe Lake. Following the assault, the victim dropped Bynum off at Glenoma Grocery and headed to her mother’s house in Glenoma to get help.
Paramedics from Lewis County Fire District 10 also responded to the call to provide medical care. Sheriff’s deputies interviewed the victim and also “observed (her) face and neck were heavily bruised and her eyes were swollen shut,” according to the probable cause statement.
The probable cause statement added deputies spent “quite a bit of time” attempting to locate Bynum, and when they did finally find him, he allegedly attempted to run but was quickly arrested.
Bynum was arrested July 13 and remains in custody, according to the Lewis County Jail roster.
