Charge: Man called it 'extremely easy' to kill girlfriend at Seattle Center David Lee Morris is charged with first-degree murder for the slaying of his girlfriend in front of their 5-year-old son

Police say the man pictured in handcuffs, David Lee Morris, killed his longtime girlfriend at the Seattle Center Armory Friday afternoon by stabbing her in the neck several times at MOD Pizza. He was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder. less Police say the man pictured in handcuffs, David Lee Morris, killed his longtime girlfriend at the Seattle Center Armory Friday afternoon by stabbing her in the neck several times at MOD Pizza. He was charged ... more Photo: KOMO Photo: KOMO Image 1 of / 42 Caption Close Charge: Man called it 'extremely easy' to kill girlfriend at Seattle Center 1 / 42 Back to Gallery

David Lee Morris was open about the alleged killing of his girlfriend, Gabrielle Maria Garcia, telling police he had "a lot of justification" for slaying her at the Seattle Center Armory Friday afternoon.

"(I)t's extremely easy to kill people .... if you're willing to die ... and you feel like you've lost everything," he told Seattle police after his arrest, according to Wyman Yip, King County senior deputy prosecutor.

The 29-year-old accused his on-and-off girlfriend of cutting their 5-year-old autistic son out of his life. He allegedly claimed he was deep in debt, couldn't secure a stable job and had "messed up credit."

RELATED: Man killed girlfriend at Seattle Center Armory 'to make a better life for his son,' cops say

Prosecutors charged Morris with first-degree murder Wednesday, saying he intentionally killed his 28-year-old girlfriend in front of several witnesses at the Armory's MOD Pizza stand. A King County Superior Court judge ordered he remain held without bail.

After he plunged a knife into her neck several times, a witness brandished a gun he was reportedly licensed to possess and engaged him in an armed standoff outside until police arrived.

Police reportedly used a Taser on Morris twice before detaining him, but while speaking with detectives, he confessed a desire to hill Garcia, court records say.

Garcia had a protection order against Morris, but the two met Friday afternoon to take their son to the Pacific Science Center, according to the incident report.

He said he had thought of killing Garcia back in April or May, but hoped to "rehabilitate" their troubled relationship, according to court records. He claimed their relationship was tumultuous for their child, so he wanted to kill Garcia so that their son could be raised by Garcia's brother while he was in jail.

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The pair bought pizza at MOD Pizza. The man tried to engage Garcia in a discussion about their relationship after they sat down, but she stood up to go to the bathroom. Believing she was about to call her attorney, "He decided it was time to kill her," police reports say.

He allegedly pulled out his knife, cornered Garcia and "thrust the knife into her neck numerous times."

Garcia was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where she ultimately died. Seattle police claimed the boy was taken into custody and that officers would consult with Child Protective Services on his placement.

Morris allegedly told police that the slaying was "ironic," because while he was in the military, he didn't "get to kill Taliban or anything like that," Yip wrote in a court memo. He called "the woman [he] loved" his "first confirmed kill."

SeattlePI reporter Lynsi Burton can be reached at 206-448-8381 or lynsiburton@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LynsiBurton_PI. Find more from Lynsi here.