Man charged with murder in deadly beating at Burnsville park

Body found at Burnsville park, suspect accused of beating man to death

A 21-year-old man is now charged with murder after he allegedly beat up a man and left him for dead at Interlachen Park in Burnsville.

Court records show Michael Lual Nhial of Burnsville faces one count of second-degree murder in connection with the May 3 death of 59-year-old David Stuart Chant of Faribault.

According to a criminal complaint, Chant’s mother found her son beaten and unresponsive near a picnic table the morning of May 3. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

RELATED: Burnsville police asking residents for security footage related to a death at a park

Chant’s mother told police her son likes to take walks around Interlachen Park whenever he stays with her. Two walking sticks he used for medical purposes were found bent out of shape near his body.

Investigators found a pair of shoes in a portable toilet near the victim’s body. One of the shoes was stained with blood and had gray hairs that matched the victim stuck to the sole. DNA testing later confirmed the blood belonged to Chant, the complaint states.

Later that morning, a woman reported that her son, Nhial, was missing. Nhial allegedly had a history of erratic and aggressive behavior, both at school and at home. Police had several recent encounters with him, including a March 25 incident in which Nhial reportedly was damaging property inside the home and assaulted a responding officer.

A review of body camera footage from two interactions with Nhial showed him wearing shoes that appeared to match the pair found near the crime scene. Surveillance footage from the morning of the homicide showed Nhial wearing similar shoes at his apartment complex and later at a tobacco shop and a liquor store near Interlachen Park, charging documents state.

Investigators reviewed more surveillance footage that captured audio of the assault just before 2 a.m.

One person is allegedly heard saying, “Hey. Give me my cane back, God damn it!” Amid the sounds of punches and slaps, a second voice is heard saying, “Why are you [expletive] running?” Later, the recording picks up the sound of a portable toilet door slamming.

Jail records show Nhial was arrested on May 7 in connection with a burglary offense. In a recorded jail call, he told someone he had “knocked out” someone at the park the weekend before his arrest.

Nhial is in custody at the Dakota County Jail. His first appearance is set for Monday morning.

The post Man charged with murder in deadly beating at Burnsville park first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.