Trial set to start Aug. 20 for Albert Lea murder suspect

Published 3:16 pm Saturday, July 7, 2012

The St. Paul man charged in November with stabbing his wife and killing an Albert Lea man is slated to go to trial in a little more than a month.

Lawyers representing Pah Ber, 49, along with lawyers from the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, are slated to meet Monday to discuss Ber’s psychological evaluation and any other concerns prior to his scheduled Aug. 20 trial.

The evaluation, which came back in May, stated Ber did not suffer from any “mental defect” at the time he allegedly stabbed 40-year-old Po Lye to death Nov. 19.

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Dennis Gerhardstein, public information officer with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, said the court may adopt the findings of the report during the hearing. Barring a challenge from the defense, the case will proceed to trial as scheduled.

Ber faces one charge of second-degree murder in the death of Lye and one charge of second-degree attempted murder related to his wife, Paw Pree, 40, of St. Paul.

He pleaded not guilty to both counts during a hearing in December.

Court documents state Ber allegedly stabbed Lye after accusing him of cheating with his wife. After stabbing Lye, Ber allegedly turned on his wife.

Lye suffered “a very deep and wide laceration” to his neck, along with stab wounds to his stomach and chest, according to court documents. He died at the scene.

Pree was also reportedly stabbed numerous times, including several times in the eyes. She is now blind in both eyes.

The incident reportedly took place in an apartment in St. Paul’s North End neighborhood. Ber and Pree’s children witnessed a majority of the incident.