Man who allegedly stabbed woman to death is charged with domestic violence and armed criminal action

COLUMBIA, Missouri (KMIZ)

A man accused of stabbing a woman in the 1100 block of West Broadway in Columbia on Wednesday morning has been charged with two felonies.

Michael James, 55, of Columbia, was charged with first-degree domestic violence and armed criminal action. Columbia police announced his arrest in a news release Wednesday afternoon, but he did not appear on the Boone County Jail inmate list as of Thursday afternoon.

An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday and his bail was denied. A court date has not yet been set.

According to the probable cause statement, James slit the woman’s throat with a knife. Wednesday’s press release states that she was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. According to court documents, the victim required emergency surgery.

Police were called around 6 a.m. and found the victim with “large amounts of blood” on his clothing and a cut on his neck, the statement said. James was found in the 1400 block of Gary Street and attempted to flee from police when they told him to stop, the statement said.

In the heavily redacted probable cause statement, James allegedly told police he and the victim had an argument in their apartment and claimed both had brought knives. He then claimed the victim struck him with a knife first. James then allegedly admitted to striking the victim with a knife but claimed he did not know if he hit her, the statement said. According to court documents, James allegedly told police the victim admitted to cheating on him.

James allegedly claimed to have argued with a man at the apartment on Tuesday. According to court documents, James is currently on probation.