A 37-year-old man with a serious criminal history fatally stabbed his roommate over the weekend in the Twin Cities home where her toddler daughter was sleeping, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.
Shay Michael Benson, of Richfield, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with second-degree murder in connection with the attack before dawn Sunday at the home in the 6400 block of Bloomington Avenue S.
Benson was arrested that morning and remains jailed ahead of court appearance scheduled for Wednesday. Court records do not list an attorney for him.
Officers were dispatched to the home about 5 a.m. after a 911 call from Benson. They found the woman’s body on the basement bathroom floor with a large and deep cut to her head, said police, who noted that Benson was covered in blood.
The criminal complaint added that along with the cut to the woman’s head, other injuries included black eyes that were swollen shut and a broken nose. Officials have yet to release the woman’s identity.
Court records in Minnesota show that Benson has one conviction for second-degree criminal sexual conduct, and two each for violating terms as a state-registered sex offender and for domestic abuse.
According to the complaint:
Officers searched the home and saw blood in various locations, included several where it appeared there had been an attempt to clean it up. The washer had in it what looked like bloodied items including clothes, men’s athletic shoes, rugs and washcloths.
