Bail Set For Cambridge Man Charged In St. Croix River Stabbing
BALSAM LAKE, Wis. (WCCO) -- Friends and family got to see the man accused of stabbing to death 34-year-old Peter Kelly, a father of five, after a fishing argument turned deadly Tuesday night.
The Cambridge man made his first appearance in a Polk County Wisconsin courtroom on Friday.
Levi Acre-Kendall, 19, appeared before a judge on charges of first-degree reckless homicide in Kelly's death. Prosecutors say he stabbed Kelly in the heart after the two exchanged heated words in a parking lot alongside the St. Croix River.
Wearing an orange jail jumpsuit with his hands cuffed and belted, Acre-Kendall took his place in court. Polk County District Attorney Dan Steffen called him a flight risk and had asked for $200,000 cash bond.
"Just the fact they fled the scene initially and some of the facts after the event took place," Steffen said.
Acre-Kendall and two buddies were fishing at St. Croix Falls Tuesday night when they began yelling across the river at Kelly, who was fishing on the other side with a friend.
At around 9:45 p.m., the father of five, a beloved coach and community volunteer, drove over to quell the trash talk.
Following the court appearance, the victim's brother, Mike Kelly gave the press some emotional words.
"It was a coward that killed our brother," he said.
Mike Kelly defended his brother's actions, who he says was taking a stand for public decency. He said the group of three young men were yelling obscenities and smoking marijuana.
"You see punks like that and you confront them and say get out of here," Kelly said. "You're not going to wreck the type of life we have here."
According to the criminal complaint, another man with Acre-Kendall tried to separate the two, but he claimed that when Kelly reached in to pull Acre-Kendall from the car, the 19-year-old pulled a knife and stabbed Kelly in the heart.
District Attorney Steffen described the death as "senseless" in the courtroom Friday.
Steffen said investigators found evidence showing that the defendant was trying to quiet the other witnesses before he turned himself into authorities.
Judge Molly GaleWyrick agreed that Acre-Kendall is a flight risk and she set his bond at $125,000 cash. Under Wisconsin law there will be an expedited pre-trial hearing on April 22nd.
