Woman found dead in St. Paul home; man arrested

A woman was killed early Thursday in the St. Paul home that she shared with her boyfriend, police said, and family members said the woman had announced that she wanted to leave the relationship.

The officers arrived about 1:30 a.m. to the home in the 1000 block of 6th Street E., police said. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by city emergency personnel.

Family identified the woman as Mona Turner, 54.

"I'm lost. I don't know how this happened," said Kelly Askew, the niece of the man who was arrested. Askew said she viewed Turner as an "amazing" aunt and friend.

Askew said her uncle and aunt had been in a relationship for 40 years, but her aunt had recently decided to leave her uncle, who had been verbally and emotionally abusive. She said her cousin, who was at the home at the time, said her uncle shot her aunt and then stabbed himself.

The man is being treated at Regions Hospital for what police described as noncritical injuries. He has not been charged.

About 50 family members and friends gathered outside the home Thursday night with flowers, balloons and candles to mourn their loss.

Kaithlynn Yang, an 18-year-old who lives across the street, said she would often see the couple sitting on the porch together.

"It's sad that I just saw them yesterday and said 'Hi' to them and then all this happens," Yang said.

Yang said she woke up around 1 a.m. to what sounded like two gunshots. But she said she assumed that it was just thunder from a heavy overnight storm, so she went back to sleep. She woke again about 20 minutes later to the sound of police sirens in the neighborhood.

Yang said that when she looked out her bedroom window, she saw police leading the man out of the home. He had blood on his shirt, Yang said.

Thursday's death was the seventh homicide in the city so far this year, St. Paul police said.