2 Charged After Man Stabbed Multiple Times in Hubbard County Attack

Oct 6

A father is fighting for his life after a violent attack inside his Hubbard County home early Saturday morning.

Deputies were called just after 3:30 a.m. Oct. 4 to Piney Park in Straight River Township after neighbors reported a man and his young daughter screaming for help.

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When deputies arrived, they found 49-year-old David Kerr bleeding heavily from multiple stab wounds. Kerr told deputies that a former neighbor had come into his home through the unlocked door and attacked him with a knife as his 5-year-old daughter sat nearby. Kerr was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids before being flown to Fargo for advanced medical care.

Investigators quickly identified the suspect as 44-year-old Charles Wayne Justus, who had once lived next to Kerr. Deputies went to his apartment and detained both Justus and his wife, 50-year-old Danielle Runae Westphal. In interviews, Justus admitted to the attack, telling officers he had been awake for days using methamphetamine and could not stop thinking about his belief that his wife had been unfaithful with Kerr. He said he went to Kerr’s home, began swinging his fists and a knife, and continued stabbing until Kerr managed to get outside. Justus admitted he threw the knife away afterward and told investigators he wanted Kerr to suffer.

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Westphal at first claimed she knew nothing but later admitted she saw blood on her husband’s arm when he returned home and that he told her he had stabbed Kerr. She also acknowledged that she helped discard his blood-soaked jeans during a drive later that morning. Deputies later recovered the clothing on the roadside.

Justus has now been charged with attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and first-degree burglary with assault.

Westphal faces four felony counts as an accomplice after the fact, accused of lying to investigators and helping conceal evidence. Bail for Justus has been set at $2 million without conditions or $1 million with conditions.

Westphal’s bail was set at $750,000 without conditions or $350,000 with conditions and both suspects remained in the Hubbard County Jail as of late Monday night.

Justus faces up to 20 years in prison on each count while Westphal faces up to 10 years in prison on each of her counts.

Kerr remains hospitalized in Fargo with life-threatening injuries and authorities have not yet released an update on his condition. The investigation is ongoing.

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