FARGO, ND - On Monday, Arthur Kollie, 22, entered an Alford plea in the murder of 14-year-old Jupiter Paulsen. The teenager was assaulted, robbed and stabbed to death on June 4, 2021.
An Alford plea means that while the defendant does not actually admit guilt, he/she acknowledges there is more than enough evidence to obtain a conviction. It is often in an effort to avoid a harsher sentence.
A man actually witnessed the deadly assault.
Valley News Live reported:
Fargo Police were called to 4340 13th Ave. S. on June 4 after documents say a garbage man was driving through the parking lot and witnessed Kollie leaning over the victim. The witness stated Kollie had one hand on the teenage victim’s nose and the other hand on her throat. Documents say video surveillance shows Kollie spent around 25 minutes assaulting the victim before running off.
The young girl died from "asphyxiation by strangulation complicated by multiple sharp-force injuries," according to the autopsy report.
More than 20 stab wounds were found on the 14-year-old's body.
Kollie assaulted a police officer during his arrest, and once in custody, he admitted that he had been smoking meth.
*Kollie came to this country from Liberia and is not a citizen.
