Expelled student admits hammer and knife attack of his ex, her rescuers at St. Olaf dorm

A man expelled from St. Olaf College has admitted that he climbed through a dorm window with a knife and hammer and attacking his former girlfriend during a party and three people who came to the woman’s rescue.

William Davis Schulenberg, 23, of Chanhassen, who was charged with first- and second-degree attempted murder and four counts of second-degree assault, pleaded guilty Monday in Rice County District Court to one count of first-degree assault and three counts of second-degree assault in connection with the violent outburst on May 1, 2022, in Ytterboe Hall on the Northfield campus.

The plea agreement between the prosecution and the defense calls for Schulenberg to receive a sentence ranging from 6¼ to 17 years. Schulenberg, who has been under court-ordered electronic home monitoring since shortly after his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5.

“William Schulenberg’s crimes are truly horrifying,” read a statement from Attorney Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted Schulenberg at the request of the Rice County Attorney’s Office.

“I am extremely grateful to the brave individuals who put themselves in harm’s way to rescue the young woman Schulenberg was assaulting,” Ellison added. “Their intervention likely saved her life, and they deserve to be commended for their heroism.”

Schulenberg’s attorney, Stephen Foertsch, told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Tuesday that his client has suffered from psychological difficulties, and “this case illustrated the mental health challenges that our young people have faced coming out of COVID. I commend Will for all the work he has done to get himself to a healthy place.”

Foertsch added that Schulenberg has “expressed remorse [and] accepts responsibility and has said he is sorry to his friends.”

Schulenberg climbed through the dorm window shortly after midnight with a hammer in one hand and a hunting knife in the other. He struck the female student’s head multiple times with the hammer and pushed the blade into her neck. Prosecutors said he stabbed her at least twice.

Three male students attending the party intervened and wrestled with Schulenberg. He struck two of them with the hammer and cut the third with the knife before being subdued.

The woman, who was 19 at the time, explained to law enforcement that the relationship had turned toxic, and Schulenberg did not want to break up. At the time of the attack, Schulenberg was subject to a college-issued order requiring him to stay away from the woman.

One student reported that he had texted with Schulenberg and told him to not come to the party because the former girlfriend was there. Schulenberg asked the witness to have her leave, but the witness texted that he wouldn’t do that.

“Actions have consequences,” Schulenberg texted in reply shortly before he arrived and unleashed his attacks.