ST. THOMAS — A 27-year-old man is facing multiple attempted-murder and assault charges after allegedly stabbing two brothers during a violent confrontation in Anna's Retreat on Sunday night, leaving one with 13 stab wounds and both with punctured lungs. The defendant's unusual behavior before and after the attack also prompted a magistrate to order a psychological evaluation.
Osayande Francis, identified by the victims as a man they knew as “O'Say,” appeared before Magistrate Simone Van Holten-Turnbull on Tuesday. The court found probable cause to uphold the charges and set bail at $50,000, fully secured by cash or property, with conditions including house arrest, GPS monitoring and mental health treatment requirements upon release.
According to a police report filed in court, officers were dispatched to Schneider Regional Medical Center late Sunday, October 25, after two men arrived suffering from stab wounds. One of the victims was able to speak with investigators, while his older brother remained unresponsive.
Medical personnel informed police that the older brother had sustained 13 stab wounds, at least two of which had punctured his lungs. The younger brother sustained a single stab wound to his chest that also punctured a lung.
Officers subsequently traveled to Anna's Retreat, where a neighborhood resident directed them to the scene and described witnessing the attack shortly after 10 p.m.
The witness told investigators that they were inside their home when a commotion outside drew their attention. Looking through a window, they reportedly saw a man holding an unidentified object and attacking two other men. One victim was on the ground while the other attempted to defend himself.
According to the witness, the attacker eventually removed all his clothing, entered a white SUV and shouted that the victims were “devils” who “need to dead” before driving away.
One of the wounded men was covered in blood, the witness said. After the attacker departed, a passerby alerted the resident to the seriousness of the victims' injuries. The witness subsequently helped transport the brothers to the hospital in a vehicle belonging to one of them.
The resident told police that the alleged attacker frequently visited the area, where men regularly gathered to socialize, and suggested that he might have been experiencing a mental health episode.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage showing the white SUV leaving Anna's Retreat and turning onto Mandahl Road.
On Monday, officers returned to Schneider Regional Medical Center to interview the brother who had sustained the single stab wound.
He explained that he and his older brother had been socializing with several people at their usual gathering place Sunday night. Mr. Francis was also present and, at one point, left briefly before returning with a six-pack of beer.
The victim said Mr. Francis began stamping his foot on the ground and striking a nearby wall in a manner he described as “off.” He told investigators that Mr. Francis had displayed similar behavior before.
Concerned by what he was witnessing, the man decided to leave. As he prepared to depart, however, he heard his older brother calling his name.
Looking up the street, he reportedly saw Mr. Francis on top of his brother, who was lying on the ground. Initially believing that his brother was being punched, the man ran toward them and attempted to intervene.
During the ensuing confrontation, Mr. Francis allegedly struck the younger brother, who initially thought he had been punched before realizing that he too had been stabbed.
When he backed away, Mr. Francis reportedly returned to attacking the older brother. The injured man said he used a metal canister and an object described as a spool to fend off the attacker while clutching his wounded chest.
He told police that Mr. Francis repeatedly pointed toward his older brother, referred to him as the devil and insisted that he needed to die.
The victim described the weapon as a small black pocketknife and confirmed the witness's account that Mr. Francis removed his clothing before fleeing the area.
Late Monday afternoon, Mr. Francis's parents accompanied him to the Richard Callwood Command police station, where his father provided investigators with an account of his son's arrival at their Estate Mandahl residence the previous night.
According to the father, Mr. Francis arrived late Sunday night or early Monday morning, sounding the horn of his vehicle. When his father went outside, he found his son completely nude, shaking and bleeding “profusely” from a finger and the crown of his head.
The father described Mr. Francis as being “in shock and hysterical” and said he repeatedly claimed to have seen the devil.
He told police that such behavior was not normal for his son and that it took approximately 90 minutes to calm him down. Mr. Francis eventually fell asleep, with his father remaining beside him throughout the night.
The following morning, Mr. Francis reportedly continued to avoid answering questions about what had occurred. His father began contacting acquaintances and eventually learned that his son had been involved in a fight with two brothers.
After further attempts to obtain an explanation proved unsuccessful, the father suggested going to the police station, a proposal to which Mr. Francis appeared to agree.
At the station, Mr. Francis requested an attorney. He was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault with a deadly weapon, eight counts of using a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime, instigating a fight and disturbance of the peace.
During Tuesday's advice-of-rights hearing, Magistrate Van Holten-Turnbull found probable cause to support all the charges.
The magistrate established bail at $50,000, fully secured by cash or property, and ordered that Mr. Francis be released into his parents' custody if the bail requirements are satisfied.
Upon release, he must remain under 24-hour house arrest with GPS monitoring and report to the probation office by telephone twice weekly. He must also report to the Division of Mental Health by Friday, October 30.
The court ordered a psychological evaluation and required Mr. Francis to comply with the recommendations of his treating physician, including any prescribed medication regimen.
Additional restrictions include maintaining a distance of at least 25 feet from the victims and witnesses.
Although witnesses and family members described behavior that raised concerns about Mr. Francis's mental state, the court proceedings did not establish a psychiatric diagnosis or determine whether a mental health condition contributed to the alleged attack.
Mr. Francis is scheduled to return to court on November 13.
