FARGO (N.D.) — An Alford plea was entered by a North Dakota man in connection to the death of a 14 year-old girl. Authorities claim she was strangled and stabbed more then 20 times outside a store in June.
Tuesday, April 22, was the 22-year-old Arthur Kollie who entered the plea in the case of Jupiter Paulsen’s death. The Fargo man, 22, entered the plea Monday in the death of Jupiter Paulsen. He maintains his innocence but admits that there is sufficient evidence to convict him.
According to charging documents, a sanitation worker witnessed Kollie assault the girl in Fargo’s Party City store on June 4. According to police, the witness claimed that he witnessed Kollie strangling her. Kollie fled, and the worker called 911 to save his life.
According to an autopsy, the cause of death was strangulation with multiple sharp-force injuries. According to court records, the girl was stabbed more then 20 times.
Kollie claimed to investigators that he has anxiety, depression, and multiple personality disorder. He also used methamphetamine the day before, KVLY-TV reported, citing court records.
Investigators did not find any evidence Kollie and the girl knew one another.
Kollie initially pleaded guilty Monday to the felony charges of murder, robbery, and aggravated assault in Cass County District Court. But, later that day, she changed it to an Alford plea.
