Cedar Rapids man sentenced to 10 years for fatally stabbing Devonna Walker

CEDAR RAPIDS — The mother of Devonna Walker said Friday her daughter’s death was the “hardest thing any parent could ever face,” adding how “a heartless, racist act of violence has devastated my family.”

“Writing this is incredibly painful, and each time I do, the tears flow more freely,” Lasean Boles said in a victim impact statement read by Anastasia Basquin, chief victim liaison with the Linn County Attorney’s Office.

  Buy Photo

“Devonna was a loving and caring person. She always tried to feed people and loved to cook and party. Like many young parents, she still had some growing up to do, but she was so excited about having a baby girl.”

Now, her youngest, along with her two other children, have to grow up without a mother, Boles said. She knows they are angry and in pain and feels helpless because she can’t take away their pain.

“Our lives will never be the same, but with God on my side, we’ll get through this,” Boles said. “I hope that justice is served and that the perpetrator suffers the consequences of his actions.”

Sentencing

Shane Teslik, 38, of Cedar Rapids, was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for calling Walker a racial slur before she ran at him, punched him in the face, and he fatally stabbed her with a kitchen knife.

A Linn County jury in April found Teslik guilty of voluntary manslaughter, a felony, and disorderly conduct-epithets/threatening gesture, a simple misdemeanor, in the Jan. 2, 2023, fatal stabbing of Walker, 29.

During the hearing, Teslik said he was protecting his family from Walker’s “brutal attack,” and he said a “word” to make Walker go away. He said he was “sorry” for what happened and is “sorry for (her family’s) loss.”

Teslik said he would have done anything to ensure his family’s safety that day.

The defense also read two letters of support into the record from a friend and from Teslik’s mother.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks asked the judge to sentence Teslik to 10 years in prison, the requirement for voluntary manslaughter, and to 30 days in jail on the disorderly conduct conviction.

Maybanks said the stabbing was a “violent” act and “but for” Teslik’s actions and use of the racial slur, Walker still would be alive.

John Bruzek, Teslik’s lawyer, said he disagreed with Maybanks. If Walker hadn’t attacked Teslik in his home, she still would be alive, he said.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler sentenced Teslik to 10 years and ran the 30 days concurrently. He also ordered Teslik to pay victim restitution to Walker’s heirs.

Besler said a lot of things led to Walker’s death, including Teslik’s language and his decision to respond to a punch by using a knife and taking Walker’s life. Walker wasn’t innocent in the assault, but she didn’t deserve to be fatally stabbed, he said.

‘No remorse’

Maybanks, after sentencing, said it was “disappointing” that Teslik still has “no remorse for his actions and for taking Devonna Walker’s life.”

  Buy Photo

“Even today, he offered no apology for his use of this historically offensive and disgusting word,” Maybanks said. “This case brought up a lot of strong feelings from the community at large and especially members of the Black community.

“We took the necessary steps to carefully analyze the evidence and conduct a thorough and complete investigation before charging Mr. Teslik.

“The jury delivered justice with their verdict for Devonna and for the community,” Maybanks said. “Today, the judge held him accountable. We stand behind the charges filed and the jury’s verdict.

Trial testimony

At Teslik’s trial, Teslik testified he was protecting himself and his home when Walker “charged” at him and his girlfriend, who was between the two and was knocked over and assaulted as Walker made her way to Teslik.

According to video evidence and testimony, as the argument escalated between Walker and Teslik’s girlfriend, he got involved and threatened to kill Walker. He called her the racial slur just before she assaulted him, as he stood in the doorway of his girlfriend’s apartment at 2135 North Towne Ct. NE in Cedar Rapids.

Teslik and Walker, according to testimony and videos, had had previous arguments, mostly over Teslik’s bulldog, which Walker, in the videos, said was aggressive.

Teslik, during his testimony, said he initially didn’t tell a police investigator he “hurled” a racial epithet at Walker before she assaulted him. He told a prosecutor, under cross examination on the stand, that he didn’t think it was important. Teslik said he used the slur to make her go away or “neutralize” the situation.

He denied using the epithet more than once that night, but Slaughter played a video of the incident that circulated on social media and noted he said the slur four times. The last time he yelled it, Walker had started walking away from his apartment but then ran at him and assaulted him.

A deputy state medical examiner testified during trial that the knife Teslik used to stab Walker penetrated her left lung and aorta, which resulted in her bleeding to death.

A toxicology report that was part of the autopsy showed Walker had alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in her system. Dr. Jonathan Thompson testified those substances didn’t contribute to her death.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com