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St. Paul, Minn.

St. Paul man charged in stabbing death

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A St. Paul man was charged Monday with two counts of second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death on Saturday.

Willie James Chestnut, 54, is accused of killing 46-year-old Towanda Faye Harris at her apartment on the 1400 block of Minnehaha Avenue East in St. Paul. A witness told police that the argument started over beer.

Chestnut is in custody at Ramsey County jail. He's being held on $1 million bail. His first appearance in court is scheduled Tuesday.

From the criminal complaint:

The victim's husband, identified as JS, told police that Chestnut was drinking beer and vodka at Harris' apartment when an argument broke out. JS said Harris was trying to defend herself. He said Chestnut and Harris both got knives and were thrusting at one another. He saw Chestnut stab Harris in the shoulder. She ran to a bedroom and locked the door while JS called police.

Harris' 10-year-old niece was at the apartment during the assault, as were other children including Chestnut's 5-year-old son. The girl told police that she hid in a closet with her two sisters after the fight erupted over beer. She heard her aunt say, "No, Willie, no, don't stab me!" Her aunt then ran into the room coughing up blood and collapsed. The girl tried to help Harris, but said her eyes were already "floating backwards."

A provisional report from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner found that Harris died of a stab wound in her upper left chest that severed an artery and cut into her lungs.

Chestnut was arrested at a bus stop just a few blocks away from Harris' home. He initially denied that he'd been at her apartment, but later told police that he'd been there but didn't remember arguing with her because he was pretty drunk.

Chestnut later said he'd picked up a knife because he was afraid, but that he didn't stab Harris. Police said that when they told Chestnut that he was being arrested for her murder, Chestnut said his "life is gone."