Stearns County Grand Jury Charges Man With Premeditated Murder in June Stabbing

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A Stearns County Grand Jury has indicted a Cold Spring man on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder in the death of a group home worker.

Thirty-three-year-old Luke McLane is charged with stabbing Glapoujay Gamondeh in the neck multiple times at a group home in June.

McLane also faces a charge of 2nd-degree intentional murder.

Law enforcement arrived to find mortal wounds suffered by the worker

According to the criminal complaint, McLane stabbed Gamondeh in the neck multiple times on June 27th at the home in the 400 block of 8th Avenue North in Cold Spring.

The President/CEO of Catholic Charities says Gamondeh was an employee of Catholic Charities assigned to the home.

Law enforcement responded to the scene, where they found Gamondeh outside and on the ground with a severe injury to his neck. A witness was applying pressure to the wound when officers arrived. Despite life-saving efforts, Gamondeh died at the scene.

A disagreement between a group home staffer and a resident led to the fatal stabbing

The charges allege McLane was standing on the deck yelling that he told the victim that he'd do it.

Witnesses told authorities that McLane was seen on top of the victim and yelling that he was going to kill him. A witness said that when McLane got off of Gamondeh, they could see that he had suffered severe knife wounds to his neck.

McLane allegedly directed officers to where he had discarded the knife and was arrested.

Authorities found surveillance evidence in building their case

Court records say surveillance video from inside the home corroborated witness accounts that McLane had stabbed the victim.

Autopsy completed, confirming the victim died via homicide

A preliminary examination by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office determined Gamondeh's death was a homicide caused by multiple sharp force injuries.

First-degree murder means life in prison if convicted

A first-degree murder conviction carries a sentence of life in prison.

McLane has a court hearing scheduled for Monday.