Marble Hill man arrested in St. Louis, accused of assaulting girlfriend

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Marble Hill man who police say slashed his girlfriend's leg with a kitchen knife during a dispute Thursday night has been charged with five felonies.

Christopher Nanney, 32, was arrested in St. Louis early Friday morning after he allegedly beat and cut his 28-year-old girlfriend in their Marble Hill home and then fled north on Interstate 55, where he was arrested after being located by authorities who tracked his cellphone signal.

Nanney is charged with first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action, and two counts of second-degree physical assault. Charges also include tampering with physical evidence -- police say Nanney attempted to clean the knife after the assault by soaking it in a water-filled sink.

An argument between Nanney and his girlfriend began around 11 p.m. Thursday shortly after the woman came home from work, according to a probable-cause statement written by Nick Becker of the Marble Hill Police Department.

During the incident, Nanney allegedly threatened to kill the woman and hide her body after he hit her repeatedly and stuck the knife in her leg. The woman was able to escape, according to the statement she gave police, by saying she was going into another room for some clothing and then running out the door. She called 911 as she walked to the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department.

Once there, she said Nanney's two children were in the house and she feared for their safety.

Becker called child services and went to the home to investigate the incident, but found no one there.

The process of issuing an Amber Alert for the children was begun by the sheriff's department, but it had not been activated when St. Louis police said the children were safe at the home of one of Nanney's relatives.

The girlfriend was taken to a hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Becker took custody of Nanney from St. Louis police Friday, but had to admit him to a hospital in St. Louis after Nanney reported feeling sick and told Becker he had tried to commit suicide through carbon monoxide poisoning. He was in the Bollinger County Jail on Saturday, where he is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Becker told the prosecuting attorney's office that Nanney also faces two separate charges in St. Louis County for felony possession of a controlled substance, for which he was out of jail on bond.

eragan@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

Marble Hill, Mo