St. Paul man with history of abuse charged in wife's murder

A St. Paul man with a history of domestic abuse allegedly killed his estranged wife Saturday and tried to light her home on fire.

Dah Eh Ray, 59, was charged in Ramsey County District Court Monday with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Dah Dah Ray, 58.

Dah Eh Ray violated an order for protection filed against him by Dah Dah Ray when he confronted her at her home in the 1400 block of Payne Avenue about 10 a.m. Saturday.

Dah Dah Ray petitioned for the order for protection in May 2017, listing a number of allegations.

"He has threatened to kill me many times …," she wrote. "He has threatened to burn the house down …"

Dah Dah Ray's petition and the complaint against Dah Eh Ray show that he accused her of an extramarital affair.

According to the complaint: Police and firefighters were called to the home on a domestic disturbance. An officer was speaking with the grandson of the victim and suspect in the backyard when Dah Eh Ray walked out of the house carrying a musical keyboard. He had blood on his face, hands, shirt and eyeglasses.

A neighbor told police he had seen a man and woman arguing outside of the home earlier.

Police found Dah Dah Ray lying on a bed upstairs covered in blood. A knife was recovered nearby, the complaint said. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Rest in peace" was written in red letters in the Karen language on a sheet of white paper found on her chest.

Authorities also found four locations where someone apparently tried to set the carpet on fire. Several matches were found on the melted carpet.

Dah Dah Ray's cousin told police she lived at the home with Dah Dah Ray, who was afraid of her husband. He had been staying at the home the past few days despite the order for protection, the cousin allegedly said.

An autopsy showed that Dah Dah Ray was stabbed 15 times in the chest and twice in the right forearm, and suffered injuries in both palms.

"I killed my wife and I am sad about it," Dah Eh Ray allegedly told police through a Karen-speaking police officer. "I want to die along with my wife."

Dah Eh Ray pleaded guilty in August 2017 to domestic abuse, violation of an order for protection, for hitting Dah Dah Ray in the head. He also repeatedly punched and kicked the couple's son as the son tried to keep his father away from his mother.

The order for protection Dah Dah Ray obtained in 2017 was active for two years.

Chao Xiong • 612-270-4708