Champlin man James Nyonteh now faces 1st-degree murder in wife's stabbing death

MINNEAPOLIS -- A Champlin man accused of stabbing his wife to death now faces upgraded charges, including first-degree murder.

On Tuesday, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office announced that 42-year-old James Nyonteh was indicted by a grand jury in connection with the homicide last March. He now faces first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, second-degree intentional murder, and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Nyonteh was previously charged with second-degree murder in the March 28, 2022 homicide.

Peachu Yates, 35, was found bleeding and not breathing in the front yard of a home on Thousand Pines Entry in Champlin. According to the criminal complaint, when police arrived at the scene, a girl was next to Yates, screaming, "He killed her." Yates, a mother of three, was declared dead at a nearby hospital.

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A witness told police she was on the phone with Yates when Yates' husband -- Nyonteh -- showed up at the home with a knife. The witness said she heard Nyonteh in the background say he just wanted to talk, and then the phone call was terminated.

Police say Nyonteh drove off and abandoned his SUV in a neighboring city. Officers found a knife and hatchet inside. A SWAT team helped arrest Nyonteh hours later in Fargo. He was later sent back to Minnesota.

Now, prosecutors are seeking an aggravated sentencing, saying "the victim in this case was treated with particular cruelty" and left outside a relative's home.

"Intimate partner violence is a pervasive crisis in our communities that requires a strong multifaceted response, including aggressive prosecution of those who inflict devastation on families and our community," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. "This is a horrific case and we will seek the maximum sentence possible."

Nyonteh is in custody with his bail set at $2 million. 

For anonymous, confidential help, anyone can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.