South St. Paul Man Now Faces 1st-Degree Murder In Woman's Stabbing Death
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 58-year-old South St. Paul man now faces both first- and second-degree murder charges in the stabbing death of a 45-year-old woman last Friday, the Dakota County Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
Thomas Michael Luby was indicted late Wednesday by the Dakota County Grand Jury with a new charge of first-degree murder in the death of Kelly Ann Anderson, also of South St. Paul. He was initially charged with second-degree intentional murder on Aug. 10.
According to the criminal complaint, Luby called 911 in the early morning hours of Aug. 7, 2015 reporting there was dead woman at his residence, saying she was dead "because I killed her." He said he stabbed her in the neck in self-defense.
When officers arrived, they found Anderson's blood-covered body lying face up on the living room floor with a large kitchen knife in her hand. She had visible wounds to her body and neck.
Luby, who was found with dried blood on him, was placed under arrest and taken to the South St. Paul Police Department where he was interviewed, the criminal complaint said.
Luby told police that he and Anderson had been drinking the prior evening when Anderson got mad at him for hiding the alcohol and stabbed him in the neck. Luby said he disarmed her and stabbed her lightly in the stomach and said she then passed out for a while. He said she again grabbed the knife when she woke up, but he disarmed her again and stabbed her in the mouth, killing her, the complaint said.
Luby told police he had no recollection of making the 911 call and denied placing the knife in Anderson's hand after her death. The only injuries found on Luby were two small cuts under his chin.
"This was a violent attack that senselessly took the life of Kelly Anderson. Our deepest sympathy is extended to the victim's family and friends," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, adding that this is the county's first murder charge in 2015.
Luby will be making his first appearance in court on the indictment on Sept. 14, 2015 at 9 a.m. in Hastings. He's currently being held in the Dakota County Jail in connection with the previous complaint filed