Duluth man Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Assault

Nicholson Stabbed a man in his Apartment More Than a Dozen Times

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man accused of breaking into another man’s apartment and stabbing him more than a dozen times in January has plead guilty to first-degree assault.

According to the criminal complaint, 23-year-old Willie Nicholson broke into the apartment of 20-year-old Benjamin VanDell to find a place to sleep before the attack unfolded.

Nicholson began stabbing VanDell when a phone rang and feared someone would wake up and call 911.

Nicholson fled the apartment when VanDell’s girlfriend came home from work.

He later admitted to police that he was trying to kill the victim in the attack.

Nicholson was charged with first-degree assault, first-degree burglary and second-degree attempted murder. The charges of first-degree murder and second-degree attempted murder were later dropped.