Duluth man charged in downtown stabbing death; warrant issued for 2nd suspect

A 37-year-old Duluth man was arraigned in State District Court today accused of taking part in the stabbing death of another man during an alcohol-fueled fight in a downtown apartment Friday, and police have issued an arrest warrant for another man believed to have been involved in the murder.

Nakota James Benjamin is charged with intentional second-degree murder in the death of 28-year-old Joshua “Josh" Olson. Olson’s family refers to him as Josh DeFoe-Olson. A second man arrested in the case was released from the St. Louis County Jail today but police said he remained a “person of interest.”

However, later today a warrant was issued charging a third man, Joshua Lee Littlewolf, 41, address unknown, with intentional second-degree murder and second-degree assault in Olson’s death.

Duluth police are seeking the public’s help in locating Littlewolf. Anyone who has seen him is asked to call 911.

According to the criminal complaint, Benjamin called 911 at 8:22 a.m. Friday and reported that he had found the victim’s body in Benjamin’s apartment at Frances Skinner Apartments, 102 E. First St.

Benjamin said he found the victim covered in blood and that the victim had possibly cut himself. He said there was a knife by the body and that he didn’t do the stabbing.

St. Louis County prosecutor Nathaniel Stumme told Judge Sally Tarnowski that the facts of the crime were “egregious and shocking,” and he asked the court to set bail at $400,000. Stumme said there was a significant risk that Benjamin would attempt to flee and that he was a public safety risk. Tarnowski set bail at $400,000.

Benjamin told police that he returned to his apartment about 11 p.m. Thursday and woke up to find the dead body. He said he attempted to wake Olson by touching him and he felt cold. He said he also kicked the victim and he felt frozen.

A female witness told police that Benjamin and Littlewolf stabbed Olson and that Littlewolf tried to keep her from getting between Benjamin and Olson during the stabbing. Another man, who witnessed the fight, told police that Littlewolf stabbed Olson.

During a 2 p.m. news conference at the Public Safety Building on Arlington Avenue, Deputy Police Chief Robin Roeser said that both Benjamin and Littlewolf took part in the murder.