BURNSVILLE, MN — (trfnews.i234.me) — A 21-year-old Burnsville man is facing second-degree murder charges after police say he fatally beat a man with his own walking sticks during an overnight assault in Interlachen Park.
Michael Lual Nhial is accused of killing David Stuart Chant, 59, in the early morning hours of May 3, 2025. Chant’s mother found him unresponsive under a picnic table around 8:10 a.m. and called 911.
The Scene
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Chant was pronounced dead at 8:20 a.m.
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He had severe head injuries, swelling, and blunt force trauma.
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Two broken and bent walking sticks lay nearby, identified as his.
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Investigators recovered bloodstained tennis shoes and a boxed car alternator hidden in a porta-potty. DNA matched the blood to Chant.
Evidence Linking Nhial
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Surveillance video from the night shows Nhial moving around from midnight to 2 a.m. wearing the same shoes found near the scene.
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Audio from a nearby camera recorded:
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Chant shouting, “Give me my cane back, god damnit!”
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A second voice saying, “Why are you fucking running?”
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Repeated thumping, cries of pain, and a loud porta potty door slam.
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Nhial was seen returning to his apartment complex at 2:04 a.m.
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In a jail phone call, Nhial admitted to “knocking out” a man in the park.
Background & Charges
Nhial’s mother told police he had become increasingly aggressive, referencing a March incident where he assaulted an officer.
He is charged with second-degree murder without premeditation, which carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. Nhial has been in custody on unrelated charges since May and will make his initial court appearance on Monday.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.