St. Paul Man Accused Of Killing Girlfriend Appears In Court
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- The brother of Phanny Phay sobbed with emotion as family and friends left the Ramsey County intake court.
"We all miss her, and we can't do nothing about it," said Timothy Phay.
The 28-year-old was studying medicine at the University of Minnesota and was soon to be a doctor. Something that would make her Cambodian parents so very proud.
The U of M campus is also where she met her long-time boyfriend, 29-year-old Andre Duprey, who was a political science graduate.
"We heard a lot more loud yelling and shouting and jumping," neighbor Laura Lautaret recalls near the couple's Highland Park apartment.
It was around 2 a.m. on Sunday when neighbors reportedly heard a commotion coming from inside the apartment that the couple shared.
Minutes later, Lautaret heard Duprey muttering some disturbing words.
"When he was coming down the stairs what we heard him say was, 'They won't let me off the leash,' just repeatedly," Lautaret said.
When police arrived inside the apartment they discovered Phanny Phay lying dead on the bedroom floor. She appeared to have been shot and stabbed multiple times.
Duprey was clutching a knife in the hallway outside the bathroom, spattered with blood. He was chanting "demon, demon" and refused to drop a knife.
That's when officers used a stun gun and batons to subdue Duprey and take him into custody. But exactly what led to the killing remains unclear.
"The investigators are working through that type of information right now, trying to determine the facts that led to this unfortunate incident," said St. Paul Police spokesman, Sgt. Mike Ernster.
Duprey had been a legislative aide to State Rep. John Lesch until last December.
At his first appearance on Tuesday, he stood silently in the courtroom.
Outside of court, Phanny Phay's brother spoke of the family's overwhelming grief and the young woman who was about to realize her ambition of being a medical doctor.
"We all miss her, that's all, we all miss her. Look at all my family, we all miss her, and we can't do nothing about it," said Timothy Phay.
Duprey remains jailed on $1 million bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 1, 2018.
