A routine dog walk turned deadly in Stuart on Thursday afternoon when a woman in her 70s was fatally stabbed in the Southwood neighborhood of Martin County, authorities said. Deputies arrested 25-year-old Kersten Moses Francilus at the scene, and the woman later died after being taken to a hospital.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said deputies were called shortly before 4 p.m. after neighbors reported a man knocking on doors and behaving erratically. Witnesses told investigators the disturbance escalated into a sudden attack in a cul-de-sac. A neighbor rushed in to try to stop the assault but could not, and a deputy who arrived while the stabbing was still underway ordered the suspect to the ground. An off-duty deputy who lives nearby also attempted to provide aid, according to CBS Miami.
Prosecutor: Brutal, Random Attack
At a hearing on Friday, prosecutors told the court that Francilus stabbed the victim “upwards of 16 times” and was still attacking her when deputies arrived. They said he admitted to officers “he killed her” and that the only way he claimed he could describe the victim was “that she was Jewish,” according to WPTV.
Charges and Court Status
Francilus has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder and is being held without bond, local reporting states. At his initial appearance a judge appointed a public defender, and prosecutors cited the arrest affidavit in urging that he remain detained, according to WPBF.
Neighbors and Local Context
Neighbors told reporters that earlier in the day Francilus had been going door to door and at one point asked residents where a “new bank” was located. Some said he appeared “not all there” during their brief conversations. The killing has rattled the Southwood community and comes in the same year as other seemingly unprovoked violent incidents in Martin County, including a February beach attack in Stuart, according to local coverage by Local10…