Rochester man acquitted of attempted murder charge because of mental illness
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man accused of stabbing a woman last fall was acquitted of an attempted murder charge.
Abdulkadir Ali, 27, was charged with 2nd-degree attempted murder–with intent, not premeditated; as well as 2nd-degree assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily harm after approaching a 25-year-old woman at 8 1/2 St. and 15th Ave. SE at 6:14 p.m. Sept. 15, and stabbing her in the back several times with a kitchen knife.
ABC 6 News spoke with Ali’s father shortly after his arrest, about the timeline of events leading up to the incident and Ali’s schizophrenia diagnosis.
RELATED: Abdulkadir Ali’s father speaks out against his son’s arrest – ABC 6 News – kaaltv.com
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, Olmsted County judge Christina K. Stevens concluded that while the evidence provided proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ali had stabbed the woman, the state could not prove that he intended to murder her, acquitting him of the first charge.
Court documents described Ali’s mental state leading up to the crime: “Defendant reported taking a knife with the intent to stab individuals to get ‘revenge on the demons,’ which he believed would be the means to free himself from the ‘demons.'”
He was declared not guilty of the second charge “by reason of mental illness.”
Olmsted County court documents indicated that the state intended to pursue civil commitment for Ali.