A Saint Paul man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fatally stabbing another resident at an apartment building last fall.
A second count of second-degree intentional murder was dismissed under a plea agreement.
According to court records, 65-year-old Robert Lauerne Ramsey was convicted of second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony in the Nov. 3, 2024 killing of 70-year-old Lester Haynes at Redeemer Arms, a senior apartment building on the 300 block of Dale Street North in Saint Paul.
Ramsey pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced Tuesday to 180 months in prison. He received credit for 359 days already served in custody. Restitution will remain open for 90 days and Ramsey was ordered to provide a DNA sample.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to Redeemer Arms around 6:15 p.m. on Nov. 3, 2024, on a report of an assault. Officers found Haynes lying in the hallway outside his apartment with stab wounds to his face and chest. He was taken to Regions Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.
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Witnesses told police the fight began after an argument over money between Ramsey and Haynes, who were acquaintances. Surveillance footage showed the confrontation spilling into the hallway, where Ramsey stabbed Haynes in the chest with a filet knife and repeatedly tried to stab him again after the blade broke. He then kicked the victim in the head before walking away.
Ramsey was arrested in his apartment shortly after the assault. Officers recovered the knife sheath, bloodstained clothing and other items during a search. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by a stab wound to the left chest.
