Preliminary autopsy results: Grand Forks man bludgeoned to death, death ruled a homicide – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS. Two suspects have been formally charged in connection with the recent death of a 49-year-old Grand Forks man, and an affidavit released Monday, Oct. 28, alleges the death was the result of blunt force trauma. to the head

Anthony James Keel was found unresponsive in his apartment on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 24, after an unknown party called 911. Keel had multiple injuries to his head and face and was not breathing, according to the affidavit.

Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead at Altru Hospital 48 minutes after police arrived at his home.

Kiel’s injuries were suspicious, according to a news release from Grand Forks police issued early Friday morning. Law enforcement authorities began investigating the death as a homicide.

The two men were arrested on Friday, October 25, and were formally charged as of Monday, October 28.

Donald Joseph Bartlett, 45, is charged with first-degree murder.

Nicholas Alexander Ride-Arnold, 35, is charged with criminal conspiracy to commit Class AA murder and Class B misdemeanor failure to stop.

Both men face up to life in prison if convicted of Class AA felonies.

There are many surveillance cameras on the territory of the residential complex where the crime probably took place. The footage shows Kiel walking into her apartment with the man, identified as Bartlett, at 6:11 p.m. Thursday, affidavits said.

Bartlett leaves one at about 6:44 p.m.; his left arm was visibly bleeding, the affidavit said.

Surveillance footage shows him re-entering the apartment almost 20 minutes later. Shortly after, another person — identified as Reid-Arnold — comes knocking on the door and is admitted.

The two men leave together after a couple of minutes. Bartlett is seen returning once more, looking inside for a few seconds, then leaving the building altogether, according to the affidavit.

A witness told detectives he saw Bartlett sitting at a picnic table outside the building. He knew Bartlett and could tell the man was agitated, so he asked what was going on.

Bartlett allegedly said he got into an argument with a thin guy on the first floor who lunged at him with a knife. According to witnesses, Bartlett said he had to beat the man very badly.

According to the affidavit, Bartlett told the witness about the wrist injury and showed it to him. The witness invited Bartlett to his apartment to treat the injury, and during the trial, Bartlett allegedly continued to repeat his story of what happened.

Surveillance footage backs up the witness’s claim, as it shows two men entering the witness’s apartment, the affidavit said.

When Bartlett leaves the office, Ride-Arnold is already in the hallway. The two are seen using a towel to dry their hands and face, according to the affidavit. Waid-Arnold allegedly wipes Bartlett’s chest and arms, as well as her head and face, several times. The statement described the act as brutal.

Bartlett is seen leaving the building on a bicycle at 8:13 p.m. Ride-Arnold is seen entering another apartment where he stayed.

Kiel’s apartment was searched. Inside was a silver five-inch fixed-blade knife that probably had blood on the blade, and two broken wooden coffee table legs that also had blood on them.

In addition to Kiel’s fatal stab wound with a blunt object, preliminary autopsy results show he suffered three superficial stab wounds.

Sometime that night, Ride-Arnold was approached by law enforcement officers, but he allegedly refused to stop. There are no details of this event in the affidavit.

Bartlett was questioned the next day, during which he allegedly called the incident self-defense and said Kiel had attacked him.

“Bartlett stated that he tried to stay away from fights because he ‘hits hard,'” the affidavit states.

Asked to provide details of what happened, Bartlett asked for an attorney.

On Saturday, October 26, a witness said she tried to call Kiel at 7:16 p.m. on the night of the murder, but Reid-Arnold picked up the phone. She said she knew Weide-Arnold and recognized his voice. She asked where Kiel was.

Waid-Arnold allegedly replied: “Tony is here; I had to put him to sleep forever.”

A witness asked Weide-Arnold what he was talking about, and he replied that Kiel had been disrespectful, the affidavit said.

Bartlett was due to appear in court on Monday afternoon, but the court said he refused to attend. His hearing was adjourned until 9 am on Tuesday. It appears that Wride-Arnold was not scheduled for a hearing.