Husband charged after fatally stabbing wife in front of Champlin home

CHAMPLIN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 45-year-old Champlin, Minnesota man has been charged after his wife was found fatally stabbed in the front yard of a residence.

James Nyonteh is charged with second-degree murder with intent, according to charges filed Wednesday. Nyonteh is currently in custody in Cass County, North Dakota. He was arrested Tuesday morning after fleeing the Monday night stabbing.

Around 9:40 p.m. Monday, Champlin Police said officers responded to Thousand Pines Entry North and found 35-year-old Peachu Yates fatally stabbed lying in the front yard of a residence. She was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead from multiple sharp force injuries to her head and chest.

According to charges, a witness told police she had been speaking to Yates on the phone as she arrived to the residence when the call disconnected. She called others to have them check on Yates, who found her unresponsive in the yard.

Another witness told police that he heard screams, looked outside and saw a SUV run a red light as it drove away. Officers then notified other agencies to help locate the vehicle. Brooklyn Park police officers located the vehicle, which was left unoccupied. There was a bloody knife and a hatchet left inside the vehicle in plain sight, charges state.

Nyonteh was being investigated for a criminal sexual conduct case prior to the stabbing. His wife and her children had moved out of their family home and was staying with family at the Champlin residence. 

If you're experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text "START" to 88788.