When police arrived at the St. Luke Home in Cold Spring, Minnesota, they found 30-year-old Glapoujay Garmondeh on the ground outside with a fatal stab wound to his neck. Officers also encountered the man accused of killing him — 33-year-old Luke McLane — standing nearby with blood on his clothes and holding a knife, according to authorities.
Background
McLane was a resident at the St. Luke Home, a group home operated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Star Tribune, McLane had made prior verbal threats against Garmondeh, who worked as an employee at the facility. The nature and timing of those threats were not detailed in the complaint.
On the night of the attack, witnesses at the group home told police they saw McLane chasing Garmondeh outside the residence. After McLane caught up to him and got on top of the victim, he allegedly yelled at him, "I'm going to kill you."
The Investigation
Cold Spring Police Department officers responded to the scene around 8:30 p.m. Saturday after receiving calls about a stabbing. When authorities arrived, they found Garmondeh with a stab wound to his neck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to KARE, the local NBC affiliate, police said McLane made another chilling statement as officers approached: "I told you I was gonna do it."
McLane was taken into custody and booked into the Stearns County Jail, where he is being held without bail. He has been charged with second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud released a statement identifying Garmondeh as one of its employees. Aaron Fisk, the organization's president and CEO, wrote that colleagues were "deeply saddened by the tragic incident that resulted in the loss of life of an employee at our Cold Spring group home."
Key Takeaways
- Luke McLane, 33, has been charged with second-degree murder and assault with a dangerous weapon
- Glapoujay Garmondeh, 30, was killed outside the St. Luke Home in Cold Spring where he worked
- Police arriving at the scene found McLane with blood on his clothes holding a knife
- Witnesses reported seeing McLane chase Garmondeh and get on top of him before the fatal stabbing
- The group home is operated by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud
What's Next
McLane remains in custody at the Stearns County Jail without bail. His next court date was not immediately available as of publication. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Garmondeh's death is ongoing.