Minnesota teen gets 3 years in juvenile detention for fatal stabbing at party

A teenager has won dismissal of murder charges and was put on supervised probation for killing another teenager during an underage drinking party in western Minnesota.

Seth Paul, who turned 18 earlier this month, admitted in juvenile court in Traverse County to first-degree assault in connection with the stabbing death on Aug. 16, 2024, of Andre Kampeska in Browns Valley.

Under an agreement between the County Attorney’s Office and the defense, Paul was given three years of supervised release that he will serve in the secure residential section of the West Central Regional Juvenile Center in Moorhead.

Barring any violations of his probationary terms, Paul’s detention will end on his 21st birthday and the case will be dismissed.

Prosecutors agreed to have two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree manslaughter dismissed.

Paul, of Browns Valley, acknowledged during Tuesday’s proceeding that he intended to stab Kampeska and did not act in self defense, as he had claimed initially to law enforcement.

Kampeska was taken by ambulance from an apartment building in the 300 block of 2nd Avenue SW. to a hospital in nearby Sisseton, S.D., where the Browns Valley resident was declared dead from a stab wound to the chest, the Sheriff’s Office said.

According to the juvenile petition:

A 15-year-old boy’s birthday party was being held at a home in the 500 block of N. 3rd Street, where Paul lives.

“There were several people consuming alcoholic beverages in the detached garage,” the petition read.

People at the party saw Kampeska and Paul arguing and then fighting until both fell. Paul’s brother pulled Kampeska off Paul. Kampeska was then driven back to his apartment along with the 15-year-old.

The 15-year-old saw “a lot of blood” on Kampeska’s shirt and asked how that happened. Kampeska said he didn’t know.

Upon arriving at the apartment building, Kampeska got out of the vehicle and collapsed, regained his footing and made it inside. He sat in a chair but soon fell to the floor, where emergency responders found him.

Back at Paul’s home, law enforcement ordered everyone to come out. Paul was the first to exit, and he had a knife clipped to a front pants pocket. A deputy seized the knife as evidence.