St. Junious pleads ‘not guilty’ to Stewart homicide

A La Crosse man is pleading ‘not guilty’ to reckless homicide and other charges relating to the apparent stabbing death of another man.

Anquin St. Junious is accused of injuring Virgil Stewart with a knife during a fight in the back of a taxi.

Stewart died a short time after being stabbed on January 2nd.

Defense attorney Paul Zilles argued in court today that the DA hasn’t proved Stewart died from the stabbing, saying the victim could have had a heart attack after he was wounded.

While Zilles tried to have all the charges against St. Junious dismissed, Judge Elliott Levine said there is probable cause to conclude that the knife attack led to Stewart’s death.

Conflicting stories were heard when the defendant’s wife, Annette Thompson, was called to testify.

Thompson was in the taxi with her husband and Stewart, and she claims she stabbed the victim:

DA Tim Gruenke stopped the testimony, saying there’s evidence that St. Junious has coerced Thompson to say she committed the stabbing.

Judge Levine says Stewart was heard to say ‘he stabbed me,’ suggesting that Anquin was the attacker.

The case will be scheduled for trial.