Man accused of stabbing pleads not guilty
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POLSON — A Ronan man accused of a brutal stabbing last December denied the charges in Judge Christopher’s district courtroom Thursday.
Marcus John Azure, 25, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of assault with a weapon.
According to court documents, on Dec. 22, 2014, a woman reported that someone broke into her home and stabbed her friend, Benjamin Runningrabbit.
When law enforcement arrived at the residence they found it in disarray, with a small table overturned and a pool of blood on the floor. Runningrabbit had blood coming from his left side, and he was holding a towel over his injury. He had several puncture wounds in his ribcage and the side of stomach, and a wound on his wrist and his cheek.
Runningrabbit told a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy that Azure and two others had forced their way into the apartment and struck him with a stick. He said Azure then grabbed a nearby kitchen knife and jabbed Runningrabbit with it, backing him into a corner. Runningrabbit tried to defend himself with a pillow. One of the others, identified as Azure’s wife, held Runningrabbit’s arm to restrain him and assist with the assault, then they fled.
Runningrabbit said he has four children with Azure’s cousin and the two had recently broken up.
A Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy located a bloody knife nearby in the street. The reporting female identified the knife as coming from the residence.
A neighbor also told the deputy they saw a silver car with three occupants speed off right after incident. Azure was later located in the vehicle in Ronan with the two others.
Azure told law enforcement that he blacked out and did not remember what he did.
A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin April 13.
