Neighbors describe grisly scene of Richfield killing

A 24-year-old man was in custody Sunday after a woman was stabbed to death in the parking lot of a Richfield apartment complex.

By ABBY SIMONS, Star Tribune

Last update: May 3, 2009 - 9:42 PM

Residents near a Richfield apartment complex said Sunday that a dropped sack of groceries and a shoe lay near the body of a woman who was slain in the parking lot.

The woman, 22, was killed around 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Buena Vista Apartment Homes, 734 E. 78th St. A 24-year-old man was arrested and being held at the Hennepin County jail. Neither was identified.

Richfield police did not release information about a possible motive. The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said she was stabbed to death. Her name is being withheld pending confirmation of her identity through fingerprints.

Neighbors described a grisly scene, with blood flowing the length of the parking lot. The woman's throat may have been cut, they said. Eddie Viehman said he and his girlfriend, Elena Shaffer, live at the complex and could see her body clearly from their apartment window as police processed the scene when they got home about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.

Diane Soderberg lives across the street in Richfield Towers. She was watching television with her window open when she heard a "blood-curdling" scream.

"I kept the blinds shut. It was a horrific, horrific noise," Soderberg said. "I knew she was in trouble, but by that time the rescue squad was coming. It was just horrific, the scream."

Police activity following the killing kept Soderberg up most of the night. Police dogs searched the area. It is not clear where the suspect was arrested.

Viehman and Shaffer say the low-income apartments are relatively safe, but the high level of come-and-go traffic may suggest drug activity. That said, a fire a month ago brought residents together to restore their homes.

"I would like to think people here don't have weapons, but when you put it in the equation anywhere it's pretty scary," Shaffer said.

Abby Simons • 612-673-4921