Minnesota man acquitted in fatal stabbing of Wisconsin man

Jurors on Monday acquitted a young Minnesota man who said he was acting in self-defense when he fatally stabbed a Wisconsin fisherman who had confronted him and his friends.

The jury in northwestern Wisconsin returned not guilty verdicts on all three homicide charges against Levi Acre-Kendall, 20, in Polk County Circuit Court.

Acre-Kendall, of Cambridge, Minn., was acquitted of second-degree intentional homicide and first- and second-degree reckless homicide. The defendant testified he feared for his life when he stabbed 34-year-old Peter Kelly, of St. Croix Falls, as Kelly dragged him from a vehicle.

Kelly and a friend, Ross Lechman, were fishing on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River on April 14 and became upset with foul language and marijuana use from a fishing party on the Wisconsin side of the river. Later that night, Kelly and Lechman drove to the Wisconsin side and confronted the group.

Lechman testified that he pushed Acre-Kendall to the ground after he used profane language. Acre-Kendall testified that he pulled out a knife to protect himself. He said Kelly followed him to a friend's car and pulled him from the vehicle in a shoulder lock.

Prosecutors argued Acre-Kendall's use of force was unnecessary.