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A jury on Wednesday convicted a man of murder in the brutal stabbing of a roommate at a mental health group home in West St. Paul more than four years ago.
Dakota County jurors deliberated for less than an hour before finding John C. Adams, 43, guilty of second-degree intentional homicide in the Feb. 17, 2020, death of David Eugene Rahn, of 68 years old, who was found with gunshot wounds. to his face, neck, back and upper extremities.
The guilty verdict followed a four-day trial before Dakota County District Court Judge Michael Mayer. He scheduled Adams’ sentencing for Dec. 20.
Adams’ attorney, Alex Rogosheske, declined to comment on the verdict.
Court records show Adams was previously committed as mentally ill and dangerous out of Hennepin County in October 2000. At the time of the murder, he was on temporary release from Minnesota Security Hospital in San Pedro since November 2018, when he moved. in the group home.
The court proceedings on the murder charge were suspended in May 2000, when a medical evaluation found Adams was incompetent to stand trial. The procedure resumed last October when he was deemed competent after years of treatment at the state hospital.
According to the criminal complaint, a staff member heard a disturbance in Rahn’s room and then Rahn screaming for help. The staff member tried to get in, but Adams blocked the door and said it was “okay.”
While on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, the staff member reported that it had become quiet in Rahn’s room and that “something is not right.”
When the first officer who responded arrived at the state group home at 1546 Christensen Ave. shortly after 4 am, he saw a shirtless man – later identified as Adams – running from the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witnesses building across the street and into the house. .
Officers and medics gave Rahn CPR, but was pronounced dead. His injuries also included at least 20 stab wounds to one of his hands, which were consistent with defensive injuries, and blunt force trauma to his head.
Adams, who was in her bedroom, told officers that Rahn had “barged into her bedroom” and attacked her. They struggled, Adams said, before he ran and grabbed a knife to defend himself.
Adams said he threw the knife into a trash can near the Jehovah’s Witnesses building. Officers found a bloody, badly bent serrated knife in a white plastic bag that had electrical tape around the top. Bloody gloves were also found.
During an interview at police headquarters, Adams’ story changed. He said he went to bed sometime between 11:30 pm and midnight. Around 1:30 a.m., when he got up to use the bathroom, Adams said, he saw Rahn standing in Rahn’s doorway holding a knife.
According to Adams, Rahn told him to come inside, which he did. Adams told investigators that Rahn said he had nothing to live for and began stabbing her. Adams said he tried to get Rahn’s knife but couldn’t and believed Rahn was going to attack him.
Adams said he waited in a corner of the room as Rahn continued to stab him before forcing his way out. Adams said he grabbed the knife, walked across the street and cried before returning to the group home.
Call home first
West St. police records. Paul showed that officers responded to seven previous calls to the group home starting in early 2014, when she was first fired by the Department of Human Services. The calls included disturbing the peace, damage to a vehicle and two missing person reports.
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Adams was reported missing on June 23, 2019. This led to DHS filing a request that day in Hennepin County Mental Health Court to revoke Adams’ provisional release. The request, however, was canceled the next day by DHS after Adams was located and returned to the group home.
In court, Soniya Hirachan, who at the time was the DHS medical director of forensic services, direct care and treatment, wrote that her team followed up with Adams.
“It is my expectation that (Community Forensic Support Services) and additional supports will ensure that Mr. Adams returns to compliance with his interim discharge plan so that he can continue to be successful in his community reintegration,” he wrote.