Minnesota – In a disturbing incident that unfolded in Minnesota, a 19-year-old man, identified as J. Givens, was fatally stabbed after being lured out of his home by two foster brothers, a 14-year-old identified only as JC and a 17-year-old identified as J. Davila, in what authorities say was retaliation for a perceived insult. Both minors now face serious charges in connection to the brutal killing.
The shocking crime took place on March 31, when Givens was found unresponsive and severely wounded on the street around 11:30 p.m., prompting a swift response from police and emergency personnel. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that Givens had suffered 22 stab wounds, including 18 to the back, two to his upper arm, and one each to his neck and right hand.
Authorities say the deadly attack was carried out by JC, and his foster brother, Davila. JC has been charged with second-degree murder, while Davila faces a charge of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. According to a probable cause affidavit, Givens’ brother told detectives that the 19-year-old had gone out that night “to smoke” with the two teens. All three were known to each other, and the suspects lived just three blocks away from where Givens was found.
Investigators pieced together the events of the night using surveillance video and GPS data from Givens’ phone. The footage showed three individuals entering a wooded area, but only two running out minutes later. That footage, combined with neighborhood reports of suspicious behavior at the suspects’ home, including windows being covered with curtains and blankets, prompted police to secure a search warrant.
Inside the home, authorities found two bloodied knives hidden in basement rafters, along with clothing that matched what the suspects were wearing in the surveillance footage. The investigation revealed that the teens allegedly lured Givens to the area under false pretenses, telling him they had access to a stolen vehicle, something they believed would entice him. JC later admitted there was no car and the story was made up so they could get Givens out of his home.
Investigators later learned that after the stabbing, JC had expressed himself in writing while staying at a temporary foster home. His foster parents, noticing his anxious behavior, gave him a notebook to help him express his feelings. What he wrote stunned detectives. In his entries, JC described the killing with a haunting lack of remorse, referring to Givens as someone they had “dropped,” writing that the victim was “poked in the back” and that they “are havin hella fun.” He described the attack as if it were a game, taunting the victim in one line: “Why you aint fight for yo life when I poke u wit dis knife.” The entries painted a deeply disturbing picture of a teenager who not only committed a violent act but seemed to take satisfaction in recounting it.
When first questioned, JC denied any involvement. But confronted with the evidence and the writings, he admitted to chasing and stabbing Givens. He told detectives the attack was sparked because Givens “dissed” his girlfriend’s child. After the murder, the two teens returned home, washed the knives, and hid them, hoping to cover their tracks.
Both suspects were arrested earlier this month and are currently in custody with a hearing scheduled for June 3. According to reports, prosecutors intend to seek adult court certification for Davila, the older of the two accused. As the legal process unfolds, the community mourns the senseless loss of a young life, taken in a calculated act of violence stemming from a trivial grudge. What began as a casual meeting “to smoke” ended in a brutal ambush, leaving a family without a son and a neighborhood stunned by the brutality committed by two teenagers.
