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Man tells court he was mentally ill when he stabbed woman 12 times

Times - 7/14/2020

Jul. 14--VALPARAISO -- A 23-year-old Knox man is claiming he was mentally ill when he choked a woman unconscious and stabbed her at least 12 times, according to court records.

"I did stab her. I slashed her. I even choked her out 'cause I don't feel welcome here," Stephen Rainey said at the time of the Sept. 15, 2019 offense, according to Porter police.

Rainey pleaded guilty Monday a felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury, according to the court. The plea is guilty, but mentally ill.

Prosecutors have agreed to drop the remaining counts of felony strangulation, and misdemeanor battery by bodily waste and invasion of privacy, according to the proposed plea agreement.

Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford will decide Sept. 14 whether to accept the proposed plea agreement and proceed with sentencing.

Porter police said they were called out at 8:02 a.m. on the day in question to 700 N. Waverly Road where an apartment dweller told them she heard a woman screaming for help in the unit below.

When officers entered the apartment unit in question, they saw a man, later identified as Rainey, holding a pocket knife, crying and saying he stabbed someone, according to police.

While disarming and handcuffing Rainey with weapons drawn, police said they saw someone on the bathroom floor wearing a white shirt covered with blood.

A female victim was found stabbed nine times in the left arm and three times in the left wrist, knee and breast, police said.

After Rainey was handcuffed, he yelled, "I stabbed her up," police said.

Police said Rainey also spit in the face of another man as he was being led out of the apartment, resulting in the misdemeanor battery charge.

Police were initially unable to take a statement from the stabbing victim due to her receiving medical care.

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