MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A St. Paul man is accused of severely beating, stabbing and possibly raping his sister-in-law, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
Paul Lee, 23, was charged with second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault in connection to the May 17 incident. Both charges are felonies.
According to the criminal complaint, Lee entered his sister-in-law’s house after asking to use her phone because his phone had died. Then, the victim said he began choking her until she passed out. While going in and out of consciousness, she said she witnessed Lee cutting her wrist, stabbing her neck and slashing her shoulder and neck area.
She later woke up alone on the floor.
When the victim’s boyfriend, identified only as Vang, came to her house to check on her, he was allegedly attacked by Lee, who had a broken bottle of some sort, according to the complaint. Lee then fled in his vehicle.
When police arrived, Vang was holding the 27-year-old victim, who was sitting on the curb in the fetal position. Blood covered her face, neck and chest. Both of her eyes were swollen shut and bruised. She was naked from the waist down and her white camisole was ripped and soaked in blood. She also had severe lacerations on her chest, neck, wrist and shoulder, authorities said.
Police said the victim was able to mumble that her brother-in-law, Lee, assaulted her inside her home and she believed he raped her with an unknown object.
Lee was later found at his parents’ house, where he was arrested.
Police said Lee admitted to driving to the house, but that he wasn’t sure why he went there. He added that he had been drinking. He also admitted to choking and stabbing the victim, but said he did not recall cutting her wrist or sexually assaulting the victim.
Lee told police that he was “100 percent sure” that he had killed her and that he cut her after choking her to “get rid of the evidence,” the complaint said.
If convicted of both charges, Lee could face up to 20 years in prison for the attempted murder charge and 10 years in prison for the assault charge.
