St. Paul man fatally stabs mother of his child, leaves toddler home alone: Charges

St. Paul police presser: Woman found dead inside home [RAW]

The St. Paul Police Department is investigating a Friday morning homicide where a woman was found dead inside a home on the 300 block of Edmund Avenue. A 2-year-old child was also in the home unharmed, but was left alone. It's the city's third homicide of 2025.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A St. Paul man with a history of domestic abuse is charged with murder for allegedly stabbing the mother of his child, then leaving their toddler alone in the home.

Prosecutors filed a second-degree murder charge against 34-year-old Joseph Davis on Monday in connection with the death of 33-year-old Christine Morris.

Fatal stabbing in St. Paul

The backstory:

According to the criminal complaint, Davis reportedly called a family member saying he killed the mother of his child, and left his 2-year-old in the home.

St. Paul police conducted a welfare check on the 300 block of Edmund Avenue and discovered a toddler alone in the living room. Upstairs, police found a woman in a bedroom covered by a blanket. Authorities reported she had visible stab wounds to her body and was "cold to the touch." She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The medical examiner determined Morris died from a loss of blood from "multiple sharp force injuries" and the manner of death as a homicide, according to the complaint.

Davis speaks with investigators

What they're saying:

A friend told police she had been with Morris the previous evening and Davis had been messaging her through the night, accusing her of cheating on him. She last heard from Morris around 11 p.m. when she texted saying she had gotten home safely.

According to the complaint, Davis told investigators he confronted Morris after she came home late, and accused her of lying. He claimed the argument escalated and he started stabbing her with a knife.

"I should have never did that to her… that s**t was brutal. I – I definitely feel bad," Davis allegedly told investigators, adding that "she suffered."

Davis said he left the house around 1 a.m. while his child was asleep in the home, and he called his mom to check on the toddler.

Past pattern of domestic abuse

Dig deeper:

According to charging documents, another woman who shares two children with Davis has an order of protection against him. She told police that Davis left her a message saying he killed the mother of one of his other children, and wanted to see his kids before he turned himself in.

Charging documents say Davis has a past pattern of domestic abuse involving Morris.