A Carnation man has been charged with first degree murder after being arrested in connection to a fatal shooting May 9.

Mitchell Brian Gaynor, 42, is being charged in the death of his girlfriend, 46-year-old Kelly Kilburg. He pleaded not guilty May 28. A trial is set for July 14.

According to documents from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO), Gaynor accused Kilburg of actually being his ex-girlfriend posing as Kilburg through plastic surgery. The documents report that it is believed Gaynor was under the influence of a drug, and a crystalline substance resembling methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia were recovered from his home.

Since Gaynor’s arrest, KCPAO has requested that his bail be set at $5 million due to new information discovered regarding a past arrest.

According to charging documents, Gaynor was arrested by the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office in July 2023 after allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend. No criminal charges were filed in connection with the incident, but the court did eventually grant the ex-girlfriend a protection order against Gaynor. As part of the order, Gaynor had to surrender all firearms.

The protection order expired in October 2024, documents say, and at that time, Gaynor was able to request his firearms back. One of the firearms that was confiscated was used to murder Kilburg, according to KCPAO.

“Records available show that the defendant is an extreme danger to the safety of the community, if released, and $5,000,000 bail is an appropriate condition to address that threat,” the documents state.

If bail is posted, Gaynor is required to comply with electronic home detention and monitoring.