SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (WHBL) - The three people accused in fatal Monday morning stabbing are facing homicide charges.
22-year-old Donovan Cotter has been charged with first degree reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon. 27-year-old Patrick Evans and 31-year-old Candace DeBlaey are charged with felony murder. Prosecutors say all three took part in the fatal stabbing of 38-year-old Phillip Spell.
According to the criminal complaint, Spell and Cotter had been arguing for over two months over a $40.00 drug debt. Police say that fight came to a head on Sunday night when the two bumped into each other at a party and started fighting with each other. The fight broke up and police say the two sides went home. Cotter allegedly told police that he got a number of Facebook messages that goaded him into coming back out to Spells house to continue the fight.
Police say the three suspects showed up at Spell's house on the 1200 block of St. Clair around 3 am on Monday and got into a fight with Spell. It's then that Cotter allegedly stabbed Spell, and some of Spell's friends tried to break up the fight. Police say DeBlaey and Evans fled and came back in DeBlaey's van. She allegedly tried to run Spell's friends over, but ended up striking Cotter instead. Police say the three then fled to the Milwaukee area where they were picked up later in the day on Monday.
Spell was rushed to a Sheboygan Area hospital where he was pronounced dead. Reports indicate he was stabbed twice in the chest.
All three are being held in the Sheboygan County jail pending a preliminary hearing on July 20th.