$1M Bail for Suspect in Deadly Stabbing at Saint Paul Apartment
A Saint Paul man is facing second-degree murder charges following a fatal altercation at an apartment building over the weekend.
Police responded to the incident around 6:15 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 at Redeemer Arms on Dale Street, where they found the victim, a 70-year-old resident, lying unresponsive in the hallway outside his unit.
The victim suffered a puncture wound near his ribs and a laceration to his face. Officers attempted life-saving measures until medics arrived, who later transported him to Regions Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:55 p.m.
PREVIOUSLY: Man Killed in Saint Paul Stabbing
Witnesses reported that Robert Lauerne Ramsey, 64, who lived on the building’s third floor, became upset after giving money to the victim. According to one witness, Ramsey entered the victim’s apartment while they were watching football, and an argument quickly escalated. The witness said he later found a knife blade embedded in the victim’s body, which he removed and placed inside the apartment unit on top of a microwave.
Another witness recalled that, after the argument over money, the victim retrieved fishing poles in an attempt to defend himself. Surveillance footage showed the dispute moving into the hallway, where the victim pushed Ramsey backward, court documents say. Ramsey then swung a knife, striking the victim’s face and torso.
As the victim attempted to hold onto Ramsey’s legs, Ramsey continued the assault, repeatedly trying to stab him until the knife blade detached from its handle. Ramsey allegedly stomped on the victim's chest and delivered a final kick to his head before leaving the hallway with the knife sheath.
Outside Redeemer Arms on Dale Street in Saint Paul on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. via SPPD
Ramsey later returned to his apartment unit and emerged wearing different clothing. Investigators executing a search warrant found the knife sheath, additional clothing and a blood-stained lanyard. When officers requested a DNA sample, Ramsey refused and said they would only get it “if (officers) fought or killed him,” despite their court-issued warrant.
An autopsy confirmed the victim’s cause of death as exsanguination—or blood loss—from a stab wound to the chest, with the medical examiner ruling it a homicide. Ramsey made his initial court appearance Tuesday morning, where his bail was set at $1 million. He faces two charges of second-degree murder: one with intent and another for causing death while committing a felony assault.
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