An 88-year-old Seattle great-grandmother is sharing her story after enduring a violent home invasion in the city’s Rainier Beach neighborhood.
That attack was so severe that the assailant bit off her finger while stealing her jewelry.
Emma Cotton, a long-time resident of the area, was working on her porch in mid-October when a stranger ambushed her from behind. Speaking to KOMO News from her son’s home, where she is recovering, Cotton described being beaten for nearly 20 minutes as she fought to free herself.
Despite suffering fractured ribs, a head injury, and the loss of her right index finger, Cotton said what kept her fighting was faith.
“God,” she responded when asked what gave her the strength. “I wasn’t going to just let him stand there and beat on me. I yelled for my neighbors, and I hit him every time he hit me.”
Even after she surrendered her wedding rings, the attacker demanded another ring she wore on her index finger. When she struggled, he put her hand in his mouth and bit down until he could take the jewelry. Cotton said she scratched him repeatedly in an effort to defend herself before he eventually fled.
Police later released surveillance footage capturing the suspect—described as a man in his thirties—walking through the neighborhood shortly before the assault. He remains at large.
Cotton’s family, including her three sons, are now urging the public to help identify the man. Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Despite the trauma, Cotton is focused on healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. She is set to receive a prosthetic finger in mid-December and says she can still cook, work in her church, and maintain her independence.
And in a remarkable show of grace, she says she holds no hatred for the man who attacked her.
“I forgave him,” she said. “I just want him to clean his life up, do community work, and stop trying to take people’s lives and things they didn’t earn.”
Cotton’s case draws attention to the vulnerability of elderly residents living alone and the need for stronger community safety efforts.
