A New Brighton man was sentenced to more than 22 years for fatally choking his girlfriend's brother in her New Brighton home.
Steven M. Abrams, 55, was sentenced last week in Ramsey County District Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the April 14 death of Carlton L. Campbell, 58, of Minneapolis.
With credit for time in jail since his arrest, Abrams will serve the first 14⅔ years in prison and the balance on supervised release.
The woman told police that Abrams was her domestic partner and she had kicked him out of her home in the 1400 block of 20th Avenue NW. earlier that day. Abrams returned that night, Campbell let him in and then he assaulted her. Her brother intervened and called 911.
Abrams, who appeared intoxicated, threw Campbell around the apartment and got on top of him on the floor, choking him with both hands.
Campbell pleaded, "Please stop, I can't breathe," and soon lost consciousness, according to the criminal complaint.
Abrams didn't back off until officers were at the door.
In the charging document, Abrams acknowledged to police that his victim might have been begging him to stop, "but right then, I didn't have any mercy."
