Man admits to fatally stabbing St. Paul woman, believing she was his mother
A man under a civil commitment as being mentally ill and dangerous admitted in court Tuesday to fatally stabbing a woman in her St Paul apartment in after believing she was his mother Appearing by Zoom from St Peter Regional Remedy Center Maurice Angelo McClinton Smith of St Paul pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder in the killing of -year-old Tina M McCombs in the North End on Jan Under questioning by his attorney John Riemer to establish a factual basis for the plea Smith agreed that he had used methamphetamine and ecstasy and drank alcohol before going to McCombs apartment According to the criminal complaint Smith and McCombs were Facebook friends and Smith described police in an interview they met about a month earlier The complaint wasn t clear how well they knew each other Smith agreed with his attorney s statements that McCombs had previously cut his hair and that she had supported him through what the attorney disclosed his client described as very traumatic mother issues Maurice Angelo McClinton Smith Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office Through McCombs patronage Riemer urged his client you transferred that into seeing this person as your mother Yes sir Smith stated In fact you specifically killed McCombs stabbed her to seek revenge for what your mother did to you Riemer appealed Yes sir Smith stated Smith is under a civil commitment that was originally put in place about seven months after the killing In August he was ascertained to be competent to face the charges against him Under terms negotiated in his plea agreement Smith faces a term in the low to middle range of state sentencing guidelines Smith s attorney revealed his custody placement will be determined by the Minnesota Department of Corrections and Department of Human Services Ramsey County District Judge Enjoyment Bartscher set Smith s sentencing for Feb Two stab wounds to chest Officers were sent to the apartment at W Larpenteur Ave about p m Jan after a overview of a man kicking in doors while holding a knife As officers were on the way they received updated information that a woman had been stabbed Police determined McCombs unresponsive on the bedroom floor and parts of the door and lock to the apartment scattered in the entryway She was pronounced dead and an autopsy proved she d been stabbed twice in her chest Related Articles Motorist killed in crash after fleeing police in St Cloud Charge Ramsey County jail inmate bites off cellmate s ear during fight Neo-Nazi leader admits plot to give poisoned candy to Jewish kids in New York City Fear spreads as federal immigration crackdown in North Carolina expands to Raleigh White Bear Lake man sentenced for killing infant son while blackout drunk Her boyfriend communicated police he was dozing in the living room when a man broke in He heard McCombs yell What is wrong with you before the man stabbed her He announced he d seen the man around and thought he was homeless About minutes after the killing police received a description of a man lying on a back stoop of a residence three miles away and revealed Smith He was unable to respond to officers had dried blood on him and matched the stabbing suspect s description McCombs boyfriend identified him from a photo lineup as the man who killed her An investigator demanded Smith why he was at McCombs apartment and he mentioned to get various tea and crumpets the complaint read When required why he went to see McCombs Smith revealed To kill her Smith revealed he was a simple prophet
