Verdict In Murder Trial Expected Next Month

(KNSI) – A woman accused of stabbing a man to death in St. Cloud awaits a judge’s ruling. A bench trial for Lindsay Rae Shelltrack-Miller finished on Friday, and lawyers will present their closing arguments in written briefs to the judge this month. Prosecutors tell KNSI News they don’t expect the judge’s verdict until early December.

On April 19th, Shelltrack-Miller was arrested after calling 911 and stating she stabbed a man. The 41-year-old told investigators she got into an argument with Justin Allen Berge, and she threw water on him, and he threw a can of pop at her head. She said he “came after her,” so she maced him. She said he continued to come toward her, so she pulled out a knife and stabbed him. Court records say the Berge can be heard on the 911 call that he defended himself and didn’t hit her.

Police arrived on the scene and found the St. Cloud man in the alley behind the home. He was rushed to St. Cloud Hospital, where he died a short time later.

Shelltrack-Miller told an investigator she threw water on Berge and maced him and that he pushed her to the ground in the alley. She said he was kneeling over her, so she pulled a knife out of her fanny pack and attempted to nick him with the blade because she was scared and was trying to warn Berge to stay away from her. She also told an officer there was surveillance video of the incident that she could access from her phone.

The criminal complaint says one video, time-stamped at 11:48 a.m., shows Berge run around his vehicle to get away from Shelltrack-Miller. He kept running through the alley as she followed. The video allegedly shows Shelltrack-Miller latching onto the back of Berge as if she is trying to grab something from him. She ends up on the ground as Berge appears to be collecting items from the ground. According to the video, it shows Shelltrack-Miller kicking Berge repeatedly and maces him. He is seen allegedly trying to restrain her. She is then reportedly seen reaching into a fanny pack and pulling something out before making a stabbing motion toward Berge’s chest.

Shelltrack-Miller was charged with one count of second-degree murder without intent.

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