A 61-year-old man stabbed another man to death during a fight a month ago in Maplewood and said he was defending himself from repeated punches to the head, according to murder charges.
Murder charges: 61-year-old stabs man at least 6 times in fight in Maplewood
Kevin Peterson said he punched numerous times in the head.
August 29, 2022 at 8:41PM
Kevin D. Peterson of Maplewood was charged in Ramsey County District Court with intentional and unintentional second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing on July 29 of 30-year-old Richard D. Williams in the 300 block of E. Larpenteur Avenue, near Peterson's home.
The criminal complaint was filed on Aug. 10, one day after Williams, of St. Paul, died at Regions Hospital. The complaint was unsealed Monday, two days after Peterson was arrested without incident near where the stabbing occurred.
Peterson appeared in court Monday and remains jailed ahead of a Sept. 22 court appearance. A message was left with his attorney seeking a response to the allegations.
Witnesses said Williams was stabbed six or seven times, including multiple times in the chest, according to the complaint.
One witness said Williams punched Peterson, sending him to the ground. Williams got on top of Peterson, who soon recovered and got on top of Williams, the charges continued.
Police arrested Peterson at his home. He said Williams punched him in the nose three or four times. "If I would've had a pistol, I should have shot him," the charges quoted him as saying. "I cut [him]. ... He hit me in the mouth twice."
