On March 24, 2026, at approximately 2:43 A.M., Saint Paul Officers responded to the 300 block of Winthrop, Saint Paul, County of Ramsey, on a domestic. Officers arrived and spoke with MS. MS said she and JOSHUA DAVID NAPIER, [DOB REDACTED], share children in common. They have been together for about eight years. NAPIER is not currently on the lease but still has property at the apartment. MS said NAPIER was upset on this night when he learned she was on the phone with a male companion. They argued about NAPIER being unfaithful to her.
He has been wanting to get back into a relationship with her. She told him to leave and he began packing his belongings. MS was seated at the edge of her bed in her room when NAPIER charged at her. She fell back onto the bed and he got on top of her. He began to strangle her with his right hand. MS thought it was about fifteen seconds when she could not breathe or scream. When she tried to tell him to stop, she could not because of how tight he was on her neck. She believed that “he wasn’t going to stop until it was too late.” She believed NAPIER was going to kill her.
When she started crying, NAPIER got off of her and grabbed her phone. They got into a pushing match in the hallway. NAPIER went into the kitchen and held her phone in the sink under water. They “tussled” over the phone. When MS got her phone, she ran to the door and started dialing 911. NAPIER knew she was calling police and he started to run out of the apartment. On his way out, he grabbed her phone out of her hand. Officer Moua observed red marks on MS's neck. MS and her friend drove around looking for her phone.
They found her phone on a pillar near the apartment. During blueprint questions, MS said during strangulation, she could breathe and cry, but it was hard to scream or tell him to stop. Her voice was raspy. MS also said she did lose a little bit of bladder, but did not know if it was due to strangulation or everything that was happening. An investigator made attempts to interview MS for follow-up interview, to no avail.
