A Maplewood stabbing left a man dead and a woman brutally held hostage in her apartment. Authorities arrested 52-year-old Lloyd Mathew McKenzie, charging him with second-degree murder and assault.
Police responded to a reported stabbing at an apartment in Maplewood. They found a man in his 30s suffering stab wounds to the chest and abdomen. He later died during surgery at a local hospital.
The victim’s girlfriend told police her father had stabbed him. She said that when they checked on her mother, McKenzie opened the door and attacked the man in the doorway.
Officers forced entry and arrested McKenzie after he emerged from a back bedroom. Meanwhile, a woman ran from the apartment, thanking officers for their help. She said McKenzie had broken into her home while she was away and was living there without permission.
According to the complaint, McKenzie held the woman inside for several days. He took her car keys and cell phone, only letting her leave for errands like the mall or grocery store. During this time, McKenzie reportedly used crack and did not allow the woman to wear clothes. He also punched her multiple times and threatened her with a screwdriver.
The situation escalated when her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend arrived outside the apartment. The daughter’s boyfriend called McKenzie out, and he stabbed the man two or three times with a kitchen knife.
After police read him his rights, McKenzie admitted he and the woman had been on a “crack smoking binge.” He claimed he was defending himself after seeing a gun pointed at him. However, he declined to answer questions about stabbing the man without a lawyer.
Officers later recovered a serrated kitchen knife with blood under a bedroom mattress. No firearms were found. This Maplewood stabbing highlights ongoing concerns about domestic violence, drug abuse, and violent crime. Authorities continue investigating the case.
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