Charges: West St. Paul Man Strangled Girlfriend To Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 28-year-old West St. Paul man is accused of strangling his girlfriend to death after she ended her relationship with him in August, according to charges filed in Dakota County Court.

Marc Amouri Bakambia has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 10 incident.

According to the charges, West St. Paul Police were called at about 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 to an apartment on a report of a suspicious death.  When officers arrived, a distraught woman told police her daughter was dead. Officers entered the apartment and found the woman, identified as Dorothy Ann Redd, lying on the bed in the master bedroom. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy determined that Redd was strangled to death and her manner of death was ruled a homicide. The victim's mother told police that Bakambia, who lived with the victim at the time, strangled her to death, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Bakambia had been arrested on Aug. 6 for allegedly assaulting the victim.  The assault stemmed from an argument between the two after he tried to take her car when he was extremely intoxicated. When she tried to stop him from taking the car, he dragged her by the hair away from the vehicle.

A friend told police Redd asked for money to help Bakambia post the bond. The friend says she believes Redd picked him up from jail Aug. 8.

The complaint states on Aug. 9, the victim threw an energy drink at him and told him their relationship was over. On Aug. 26, Bakambia was at a gas station buying beer when he told an employee there that he strangled his fiancé.

The complaint states a search of Bakambia's cell phone showed an image of what appeared to be a "selfie" with the victim on her bed dead and him next to her crying.

If convicted, Bakambia faces up to 80 years in prison.