Charges: Man Stabbed 19 Times in Crystal Murder

A Minneapolis man has been charged in the murder of Eddie Winters, whose body was found inside a vehicle in Crystal on March 21.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office charged Larondo Willis, 37, with second degree murder. Investigators say Willis stabbed Winters, a 40-year-old man from Minneapolis, 19 times.

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner says Winters also had additional lacerations to his hands that were consistent with defensive wounds.

“It’s always unsettling to a community when some random act of violence happens,” said Brian Hubbard, deputy police chief with the Crystal Police Department. “Especially when you don’t know the origin. A question that we get often when we put out releases about things that happen are: am I safe? Can I be in my neighborhood? Can I walk to the park and all of that?”

The body of 40-year-old Eddie Winters was found in a vehicle on March 21 in the 3200 block of Hampshire Avenue N.

On March 21, police found Winters’ body inside a vehicle on the 3200 block of Hampshire Avenue North.

Investigators say the incident was not random, and there was no specific connection for either man to that location or the city of Crystal.

“I can’t express how proud I am of our team from the moment they got the call, of how well they worked together, of how well they processed that scene, worked with our other partners, and so tenaciously investigated so that we could get a resolution to this quickly,” said Hubbard. “They really did outstanding work on this case.”

Willis was already in police custody for an unrelated assault in Minneapolis when he was charged with murdering Winters.

Related: Crystal Police Ask Public for Help in Homicide Investigation

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