GRAND FORKS (trfnews.i234.me) — Two men have officially been charged with involvement in the recent death of a 49-year-old Grand Forks man. An affidavit made public Monday says the death is believed to have been caused by blunt force injury to the head.
Anthony James Kiehl was found unresponsive in his apartment Thursday night after an unidentified party called 911. He had multiple injuries on his head and face and wasn’t breathing, according to the affidavit.
Despite life-saving measures, he was ultimately pronounced dead at Altru Hospital 48 minutes after police arrived at his home.
Kiehl’s injuries were suspicious in nature, according to a Grand Forks Police Department press release issued early Friday morning. Law enforcement began investigating the death as a homicide.
Two men were arrested Friday and as of Monday, they were officially charged.
Donald Joseph Bartlette, 45, is charged with Class AA felony murder.
Nicholas Alexander Wride-Arnold, 35, is charged with Class AA felony conspiracy to commit murder and Class B misdemeanor refusal to halt.
Both men face up to life in prison if convicted of the Class AA felonies.
There are many surveillance cameras on the premises of the apartment complex where the alleged crime occurred. In the footage, Kiehl is seen entering his apartment with a man — identified as Bartlette — at 6:11 p.m. Thursday, the affidavit said.
Bartlette leaves alone at approximately 6:44 p.m.; his left hand is visibly bleeding, the affidavit said.
He re-enters the apartment nearly 20 minutes later. Shortly after, another individual — identified as Wride-Arnold — arrives, knocks on the door and is let inside.
The two men leave together a couple of minutes later. Bartlette returns once more, looking inside for several seconds, then leaving the building altogether, according to the affidavit.
A witness told detectives he saw Bartlette sitting at a picnic table outside the building. He knew Bartlette, and could tell the man was agitated, so he asked what was going on.
Bartlette allegedly said he got into an altercation with a skinny guy on the first floor, who came at him with a knife. Bartlette said he had to beat the man up pretty bad, according to the witness statement.
Video surveillance footage corroborates the witness’ statement, as it shows the two men entering the witness’ apartment, the affidavit said.
When Bartlette leaves the unit, Wride-Arnold is in the hallway. The two are seen using a towel to wipe their hands and faces, according to the affidavit. Wride-Arnold allegedly wipes Bartlette’s chest and arms, as well as his head and face, multiple times. The act is described as vigorous in the affidavit.
Bartlette leaves the building on a bicycle at 8:13 p.m. Wride-Arnold enters a different apartment unit, where he remains.
A search warrant was executed on Kiehl’s apartment. Inside was a silver five-inch fixed-blade knife with suspected blood on the blade and two broken wooden coffee table legs that appeared to also have blood on them.
In addition to Kiehl’s fatal blunt force injury, the preliminary autopsy findings indicate that he suffered three superficial knife wounds.
Sometime that night, Wride-Arnold was approached by law enforcement but allegedly refused to halt. The affidavit gives no details on this event.
Bartlette was taken into questioning the next day, during which he allegedly referred to the incident as self-defense and said Kiehl attacked him.
“Bartlette stated he was trying to stay out of fights because he ‘hits hard,'” the affidavit said.
When asked to provide details about what happened, Bartlette asked for an attorney.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, a witness said she attempted to call Kiehl the night of the murder at 7:16 p.m., but the phone was picked up by Wride-Arnold. She said she knew Wride-Arnold and recognized his voice. She asked where Kiehl was.
Wride-Arnold allegedly responded, “Tony’s right here; I had to permanently put him to sleep.”
The witness asked Wride-Arnold what he was talking about, and he answered that Kiehl had been disrespectful, the affidavit said.