Prosecutor: Fight over jukebox music led to fatal stabbing
A fatal stabbing outside the Plaza Tavern Wednesday night came after an argument over jukebox music, Assistant District Attorney Michael Verveer said Friday.
"It's quite unbelievable," Verveer said of the events which led up to Juan Bernal, 22, being stabbed and killed and Justin R. Stout, 31, being jailed on a charge of first degree intentional homicide.
In a bail hearing for Stout Friday, Verveer asked for cash bail of $250,000, saying "this defendant killed Juan Bernal with multiple stab wounds to the chest," including two that penetrated the heart.
Without elaboration, Verveer said the
stabbing followed "a dispute over music in the jukebox" inside the
popular tavern at 319 N. Henry St.
The stabbing occurred outside the tavern.
Stout fled the scene and since his arrest has not been cooperating with police, Verveer said, so "we don't know his version of events."
Verveer said Stout has only lived in Madison for about a year and was released last year from prison in Tennessee, where he had been convicted of aggravated burglary for stealing DVDs from his ex-wife's home. He also has a "history of domestic violence," Verveer said. Since coming to Madison, Stout has been working at the Concourse Hotel downtown.
Dane County Court Commissioner Dan Floeter set bail at the $250,000 requested by Verveer and ordered Stout to have no contact with Bernal's family or with Travis C. Knapp, 34, who was with Stout at the Plaza the night of the stabbing. He also ordered Stout, if he posts bail, to stay off of State Street, which includes the Henry Street area where the Plaza Tavern is located, to not possess a weapon, and to not leave Dane County.
Official charges against Stout, who was in jail suicide watch garb for Friday's hearing, are expected to be filed by early next week.
Floeter also set cash bail of $5,000 for Knapp, who appeared in court wearing traditional jailhouse blues and sporting a black eye. Knapp was with Stout the night of the stabbing and after Stout fled, Knapp was held by customers of the bar until police arrived.
He was cooperative with police and told them where Stout lived, Verveer said, and police were able to arrest Stout. Knapp "discarded the knife used by Mr. Stout," Verveer said, but gave no indication of whether the knife was found.
Knapp is being held on a charge of felony bail jumping. He had earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated battery for a beating outside the Pub Tavern on State Street in February and was out on bail awaiting sentencing on that charge. One of the conditions of his bail was that he not drink any alcohol, and after the stabbing, his blood alcohol content was tested at .13 percent, Verveer said.
Both men were represented today by Gina Bosben of the state Public Defender's Office and both qualify for public defender representation, she said.
Stout is likely to be given outside counsel by the Public Defender's Office since Bernal was represented by that office in 2005 when he was convicted of two counts of disorderly conduct when he attacked a bartender at the Good Times Bar on South Stoughton Road.
