Suspect charged with murder in West St. Paul fatal stabbing

The suspect in a fatal stabbing Monday in West St. Paul has been charged with murder, according to a criminal complaint filed in court on Wednesday.

John C. Adams II, 38, of West St. Paul, was charged with one count of second-degree murder in connection with the stabbing death of 68-year-old David Eugene Rahn, according to the complaint.

The complaint stated that West St. Paul police officers responded to a report of a disturbance around 3:51 a.m. Monday at a group home operated by the Minnesota Department of Human Services on the 1500 block of Christensen Avenue.

A staff member at the group home told police the disturbance was taking place between two residents in Rahn's bedroom. The other person in the room was determined to be Adams. 

The staff member said she heard Rahn screaming for help and when she went to the room, someone was blocking the door and wouldn't let her in. The person blocking the door told the staff member, "It was OK." The staff member then called 911, and while on the phone reported that the room had gone quiet and said, "Something isn't right."

Officers found Rahn in his room unresponsive and not breathing. They saw that Rahn had suffered several stab wounds to his neck and back. Rahn was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined that Rahn had sustained at least 20 stab wounds to the face, neck and upper body.

The first officer responding to the scene saw Adams run from a place of worship across the street and enter the group home.

The complaint alleges that Adams told officers that Rahn had "busted into his room" and attacked him. The pair started wrestling, and Adams said he got a knife to defend himself.

Adams told officers he threw the knife away, and officers found a badly bent serrated kitchen knife that appeared to have blood on it in the garbage of the place of worship Adams was seen running from.