Champlin Mother Murdered By Husband Outside Relative's Home: 'She Did Everything She Could To Protect Her Children'

CHAMPLIN, Minn. (WCCO) -- A young marriage that ended in violence robbed three children of their mother.

Police say the husband of Peachu Yates stabbed her to death outside a relative's home in Champlin last week. The two had recently married, but the health care worker and her kids moved out when trouble surfaced. Yates was trying to break away when her life came to an end.

Peachu was known for her spirit, according to Alex Togba, her brother.

"Everybody had an impression of her, very good person, very outgoing person, welcoming person," Alex said. "And I thought It'd try to remember her that way."

Alex says his sister's heart was huge, and the biggest part of it was her three kids.

"All of her attention were her kids. People that know her if you asked would say she put all of her effort in them, trying to make them better people, better kids growing up," he said.

Alex and Peachu grew up in Liberia and settled in Minnesota. The single mom had met a new man and gotten married in August.

"I always would tell my wife, 'I don't know, but just not a good feeling,'" Alex said. "You can't read a mind of a person."

He says his sister caught her new husband assaulting someone. She got an order of protection and took her kids to live with her brother. It was there that she was killed. Witnesses say her husband found her and stabbed her in Alex's front yard after she had tried so hard to get away.

"She did take a stand. I would say in my heart she did it for her kids," Alex said. "[I said to my niece] ... 'Your mom, look at her as a hero, you know, by stopping this monster who was very bad, very heartless,'" Alex said.

So as he remembers his sister, he asks that others not forget.

"I want everybody to look at. She's a hero, and look at it in that way. She did her part, she did everything she could to protect her kids," he said.

He says his sister was a mom to the end. Peachu's three kids will now live with their uncle Alex, who also has three kids. There is a GoFundMe to support this family.

Yates' husband, James Nyonteh, is charged with murdering her. Police say he 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 will be sent back to Minnesota.

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