Dexter man left in ICU following stabbing

A Dexter man is in the intensive care unit of a St. Louis hospital following a stabbing that took place in the city early Sunday morning.

According to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn and Dexter Police Department Detective Corey Mills, the stabbing took place in the 400 block of North Poplar Street sometime shortly before 1:35 a.m., when a 911 call was received from a witness to the stabbing.

According to the report, several Dexter officers responded to the residence to find Joseph Helton, 23, lying on the carport of the residence in a pool of blood. Helton was unresponsive at that time, according to the report, and an "excessive amount of blood was noted on Helton's shirt and pants.

Witnesses to the stabbing told officers that Helton was stabbed by 27-year-old Michael Atkins of Dexter during an altercation between the two men.

"During Atkins' interview, Atkins admitted to stabbing Helton once in the chest with his pocket knife during a brief altercation," the report went on to say. "Atkins admitted he fled the scene and later responded to his residence."

Mills then stated that Atkins allegedly admitted he left the knife he used to stab Helton lying next to a tree on his property, where detectives were later able to recover the weapon with blood on the knife blade.

At this time officials are unsure what prompted the stabbing, stating that attempts to further interview witnesses were unsuccessful because of suspected intoxication.

Sacha Champion may be reached via e-mail at schampion@dailystatesman.com