West St. Paul man found guilty in 68-year-old’s death

A West St. Paul man accused of fatally stabbing a 68-year-old man was found guilty in Dakota County Court Wednesday.

John C. Adams II, 43, was found guilty of intentional second-degree murder following a four-day trial, with a jury reaching a verdict in less than an hour.

As previously reported, West St. Paul Police responded to a group home on February 17, 2020, where a disturbance between Adams and 68-year-old David Eugene Rahn was taking place.

A staff member said Rahn could be heard screaming for help, but when they attempted to enter the room, they found that someone was blocking the door, telling the staff member that everything was okay.

When officers arrived, they found Rahn in his room unresponsive and suffering from multiple stab wounds to his neck and back. While life-saving measures were attempted, Rahn was later declared dead at the scene.

“This was probably one of the most violent scenes our officers have ever encountered,” West St. Paul Police Chief Brian Sturgeon said when speaking on the incident back in 2020.

Adams told police that Rahn had “busted into his room” and began attacking him, with Adams running to get a knife from the kitchen to defend himself. The knife was later located, along with bloody gloves, in a trash can at a place of worship near the group home.

Records obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS found that Adams had a history of mental illness and violence that dates back to 2000 when Adams was accused of assaulting a woman at a restaurant, throwing a glass in her face, and causing severe lacerations.

According to filings from the Department of Human Services, he was deemed “mentally ill and dangerous” and admitted to the Minnesota Security Hospital with psychotic symptoms, such as paranoid ideation and hallucinations.

Adams’ sentencing date has been scheduled for December 20 at 9 a.m.