Charges Filed After Man Found Stabbed 22 Times in Saint Paul

May 8

A 17-year-old from Saint Paul is facing a second-degree murder charge in connection with an east side stabbing death.

The victim, 19-year-old Jay’Mier Keymari Givens, was found unresponsive on a sidewalk on the 1400 block of 6th Street East late March 31, 2025.

According to a delinquency petition filed in Ramsey County Juvenile Court, 17-year-old Jeremy Joe Davila is charged with second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated, for allegedly aiding and abetting in Givens’ death. Prosecutors say a presumptive certification motion will be filed, which would move the case from juvenile court to adult court.

Police were dispatched around 11:25 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive male. They found Givens found face-up on the sidewalk, with minimal visible bleeding and a faint pulse. He was taken to Regions Hospital and later pronounced dead, with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner finding he suffered 22 sharp force injuries, including 18 to the upper back and one to the neck.

Surveillance and GPS data outlined the events leading up to the killing. At 10:34 p.m., Givens’ phone was tracked leaving his home and moving toward a wooded area west of Harding High School. By 11:08 p.m., the phone stopped moving. Surveillance footage from the area showed three individuals — including one dressed similarly to Givens — exiting the woods near Harding and crossing 6th Street East. Two individuals were later seen running north on Birmingham Street, then east.

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One of those individuals, a 14-year-old boy who was not named in court documents due to juvenile data privacy laws, was arrested on April 8 and questioned by investigators, but was released without charges.

Davila was also interviewed and initially denied involvement. He told police he had been drinking at a motel for his birthday and went home around 9 p.m. He later admitted he and the 14-year-old had met up with Givens and walked westbound on 3rd Street East. He claimed his watch broke and said he couldn’t remember how he got home. He denied using the TextNow app, though investigators found messages between Givens and a TextNow number the night of the killing.

Evidence recovered from the 14-year-old’s foster home included two knives and two sets of clothing hidden in the basement rafters. The clothing matched surveillance footage and contained burrs consistent with the wooded area where Givens was found. One knife was bent. Investigators also found a black BB gun in Davila’s bedroom, consistent with an image sent from the TextNow number to Givens that night.

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The 14-year-old was arrested again on May 1 after investigators say he confessed to his mother about being involved in the stabbing. During a second interview, confronted with additional evidence, the teen admitted that he and Davila both used knives. He reportedly said, “We both played a part in it. We both did it multiple times.” He described the events in a notebook later seized by investigators, which included graphic accounts of the killing and references to stabbing Givens in the woods and watching him collapse.

The teen told investigators the confrontation began over a broken watch. He said Givens pulled a knife first, but Davila had one too. He claimed Davila stabbed Givens first, causing him to drop the knife, which the 14-year-old then picked up. He admitted they both stabbed Givens, the court documents said.

A girlfriend of the 14-year-old confirmed he messaged her the night of the murder and admitted to making up a story about a stolen Kia Seltos to cover for their involvement. She also confirmed he used a TextNow number tied to the case.

Investigators linked Davila and the 14-year-old to the scene through GPS, surveillance video, physical evidence and confessions. Davila was taken into custody after officers conducted searches and reviewed additional surveillance, the documents said.

As of publication, it’s unclear if the 14-year-old has been formally charged and Davila’s custody status was not immediately available.

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