Man Charged in Virginia Stabbing

A 43-year-old Virginia man has been charged in connection to a stabbing on Friday. 

Jared Busse was charged with felony Second Degree Assault and Fifth Degree Assault. 

The charges stem from an incident on February 19 where police responded to the Essentia Health Emergency Room on reports of a patient who was believed to be in a knife fight. 

The victim, Cody Conlee, told police he “took one to the back of the head somewhere”, but was able to run away. 

Around 4 a.m., police received a call from a friend who received text messages from Busse stating that he was bloody and hiding out and that he “took out some dope dealer and slit his throat.”  Authorities located Busse at Conlee’s home in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue South. 

A neighbor told police he heard a disturbance and found Conlee and Busse wrestling on the floor.  He stated that he tried to get Busse to let go of Conlee. He told police that Conlee was finally able to break loose and run for help.

He told authorities Busse was holding a screwdriver and a knife, and that the entire entryway was covered in blood.

Conlee had a cut on his right index finger, several scratches on his back, as well a piece of gauze covering a puncture wound.

Busse has prior convictions of Second Degree Assault and Fifth Degree Misdemeanor Assault.