Charged with mayhem: North Chicago man accused of stabbing two people in Racine

Eli Edwards



RACINE (WITI) -- 37-year-old Eli Edwards of North Chicago, Illinois is charged in connection with the stabbings of two Racine residents on Sunday, April 19th. Edwards was charged on Friday with two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide and one count of mayhem.

Just after 6:00 a.m. Sunday, police were called out to the 800 block of Jackson Street for a possible cutting incident. There, they found a 59-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman suffering from serious injuries. They were taken to the hospital.

According to the criminal complaint against Edwards, the male victim "fell asleep in his bed and was awakened by Edwards, who was on top of him, choking him around the neck." The man stated "he began fighting with Edwards and that Edwards had a knife in his hand and was trying to stab him." At some point during this struggle, the victim "grabbed the knife that Edwards had and broke the blade off."

The complaint goes on to say "Edwards then went into the kitchen and grabbed a butcher knife and came back and continued to attack (the male victim)." The victim tried to fight off Edwards as best he could but he eventually blacked out.

The female victim told police she got phone calls advising her to come back to the male victim's house. When she got there, the complaint indicates "Edwards got into the passenger side of her car" and then Edwards "cut her with something, leading to the stab wounds on her neck."

If convicted on the most serious charge, Edwards faces up to 60 years in prison.