A 14-year-old Minnesota boy allegedly stabbed a 19-year-old man 22 times, mostly in the back, killing him—and then wrote about it in his journal.
The boy, who authorities are not naming due to his age, is accused of second-degree murder. Another juvenile, 17-year-old Jeremy Joe Davila, is accused of aiding and abetting second-degree murder, according to a probable cause statement obtained by Law&Crime.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. on March 31, officers from the St. Paul Police Department responded to a call about an unresponsive male lying on the street. Paramedics arrived and transported the man, later identified as 19-year-old Jay’Mier K. Givens, to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead. According to the affidavit, Givens received 22 stab wounds, including 18 in the back, two in the upper left arm, and one each in the neck and right hand.
Givens’ brother told investigators that Givens went “to smoke” with his buddies Davila and JC, a 14-year-old identified in the affidavit. The suspects, who are foster brothers, lived about three blocks from where Givens was discovered. Detectives were able to map the victim’s movements using the GPS on his phone, which revealed that he was near the suspects’ home at the time of the slaying, according to the affidavit. Surveillance video also captured three people entering a wooded area, with only two fleeing.
According to a neighbor, the occupants of the suspects’ house “displayed unusual behavior” in the hours following the homicide, including covering all windows with blankets or curtains, police reported. On April 8, investigators obtained a search warrant for the house and found two knives hidden in the basement rafters, according to the affidavit. According to officers, they also discovered clothing that matched the two suspects seen on surveillance video.
Officers arrested JC on May 1 at his temporary foster home. The parents told cops that JC appeared anxious in recent days, so they gave him a notebook to record his thoughts. Several pages appear to mention the homicide.
JC allegedly wrote that “we dropped one” and the victim was “poked in the back” and that “now we are havin hella fun.” Also, from the notebook:
“He tried to scream. According to the affidavit, the teen attempted to flee but refused to fight. “Why you aint fight for yo life when I poke u wit dis knife.”
While initially denying involvement, JC admitted to stabbing Givens, according to the affidavit. He allegedly admitted to chasing him down and assaulting him. According to police, he claimed he was upset with the victim because he was “dissing” his girlfriend’s child.
JC claimed he and Davila enticed Givens by telling him they were in a stolen car because they knew it would “interest him.”
“That was a coverup,” JC reportedly stated. “There was no car.”
Following the homicide, he and Davila returned home, washed the knives, and hid them in the basement rafters.
The teenagers have a hearing scheduled for June 3. According to the Pioneer Press, prosecutors intend to move the older teen’s case to adult court.
