Court records say man accused of killing woman in St. Paul's Union Park neighborhood deemed 'mentally ill' in 2018

Richard Reeve & Rebecca Omastiak

[anvplayer video=”4848918″ station=”998122″]

St. Paul police were at the scene of what they are calling a homicide early Wednesday morning.

According to the St. Paul Police Department, a homicide unit was at the scene on the 300 block of North Pierce Street in the city's Union Park neighborhood. 

A KSTP crew at the scene confirmed the following with police:

Police received a call just after midnight reporting a domestic incident. Upon arrival, police found an unresponsive woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a man was taken into custody in connection with the incident and was booked into Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of murder.

Police also said a two-year-old child at the scene, who witnessed the incident, was not hurt. 

[KSTP/ Ashley Zilka]

"There's a lot of emotion wrapped up in these (incidents)," Steve Linders, spokesman with the St. Paul Police Department, said. "When we have a child there, it adds an extra layer to everything. And then when you have a woman who's been gravely injured, there are just a lot of questions that need to be answered. And when she passes away, that amplifies that and makes it more incredibly sad."

Although police have not disclosed the exact relationships among the man, woman and child at the scene, police said the three know each other.

Police have identified the man arrested in connection to Wednesday morning's death investigation as 23-year-old Terrion Lamar Sherman. 

Sherman was taken into custody in connection with the incident and was booked into Ramsey County Jail on suspicion of murder. 

Court records show Sherman had been deemed mentally ill in October 2018. He was also considered to be chemically dependent and a risk to himself, as well as others. The ruling came following a dispute with police, where prosecutors say he spit on an officer and hospital staff.

Sherman has been under the supervision of the state's Department of Human Services (DHS) since. However, at the time of Wednesday morning's attack, Sherman was supposed to be staying at an assisted living home in Fridley. 

"We struggle with mental health in society," said neighbor Erik Sommers. "We struggle to deal with it and make sure people get the appropriate treatment they need."

The Ramsey County medical examiner is expected to conduct an autopsy to determine the woman's exact cause of death. Her identity has not yet been released.