Hopkins Man Charged with Attempted Murder for Stabbing Random Victim to “Practice Killing”

Jeffrey Lee Corley-Jones, a 25-year-old man from Hopkins, Minnesota, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault in Hennepin County District Court. Corley-Jones allegedly stabbed a random victim at the U.S. Bank Stadium light-rail station over the weekend. The victim, who remains unidentified, is currently hospitalized.

According to the criminal complaint, Metro Transit Police officers responded to the stabbing on September 16 at 12:17 a.m. Surveillance video footage identified Corley-Jones as the suspect. The video shows him approaching the victim, who was stationary and straddling his bicycle on the light-rail platform, and stabbing him. Corley-Jones then walked away from the scene.

The victim appeared confused and held his right side after the attack. He sought help from bystanders while dragging his bike. An unidentified man approached the victim and rode away on the bike. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Officers located Corley-Jones sitting near the light-rail track and found him holding a bloody knife. He allegedly asked the police if they were looking for him, confirming that he was the stabbing suspect. Corley-Jones admitted to the crime and was subsequently arrested. During the arrest, officers discovered a .43 gram rock of suspected methamphetamine.

In an interview with the police, Corley-Jones claimed that he stabbed the victim as “practice killing” to better protect his family. He stated that he did not know the victim and had never seen him before. The charges against Corley-Jones allege that he attempted to stab the victim in the heart and stabbed him once.

It is worth noting that Corley-Jones was previously convicted and is currently on probation for first-degree assault.