A 64-year-old man has admitted to fatally stabbing a friend in her Duluth home last year and doing the same to his victim's dog.
William J. Holisky II, of Duluth, pleaded guilty Friday in St. Louis County District Court to second-degree murder in the killing of Lisa J. Isham, on May 16, 2015.
Holisky's plea agreement calls for a sentence of 30 years, with roughly 20 years to be served in prison before he's eligible for being set free on supervised release.
The body of Isham, 52, was found two weeks after she was attacked in the home in the 100 block of Fir Avenue. That's near Central Park and just north of Piedmont Avenue.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, Holisky said during Friday's hearing that Isham became mad at her because he was bleeding on a table after he cut himself while cutting an onion. He said he then used the knife to stab her.
Prosecutor Jessica Fralich, however, countered that explanation. The newspaper said Fralich pointed out that Isham had been stabbed 24 times, with five of those coming after she was already dead.
Holisky said he killed the dog because Isham would have wanted her pet to enter the spirit world with her, the News Tribune reported.
Sentencing for Holisky is scheduled for Sept. 23.
