A deadly stabbing inside a Cornelius, North Carolina, apartment has left 24-year-old Demetri Niji McGruder dead, according to Cornelius police, and a woman now faces a murder charge in connection with the incident.
Authorities say the stabbing happened shortly after midnight on Wednesday, April 15, inside an apartment on Ruffner Drive. When officers arrived, they found McGruder suffering from a fatal stab wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police arrested 23-year-old Makayla Hooks, who was taken into custody and booked into the Mecklenburg County jail on a charge of second-degree murder.
According to court documents, Hooks told investigators she and McGruder were involved in an argument inside the apartment kitchen. She initially claimed she was cutting a steak, placed a knife down, and later heard a noise from the bathroom. She told detectives she did not stab McGruder and did not see him holding a knife.
However, investigators said Hooks provided conflicting accounts of what happened. An affidavit states that body camera footage from an officer captured Hooks saying McGruder had a knife, that she pushed him, and that the knife then caused the stabbing. Authorities described her statements as inconsistent, noting she gave detailed accounts of events before and after the stabbing but did not clearly explain how the injury occurred.
Police also noted that Hooks had no visible injuries, while McGruder’s body showed bruising and marks in addition to the fatal stab wound. Investigators said the suspected knife was recovered from a butcher block, with blood present on the weapon and inside the holder. A large amount of blood was also found on a bed inside the apartment.
Court records further revealed that Hooks had previously been arrested in connection with an incident involving McGruder just weeks earlier, on March 17. In that case, she was accused of throwing glass items during an argument, causing minor injuries to McGruder. She was charged with simple assault and misdemeanor domestic violence and released on a $5,000 bond.
Documents from both cases indicate that Hooks and McGruder lived together at the Ruffner Drive apartment and were in a dating relationship at the time of the incidents.
The investigation into the fatal stabbing remains ongoing as authorities continue to review evidence and statements surrounding the case.
