Devonna Walker bled to death from stab wound to her heart

CEDAR RAPIDS — A deputy state medical examiner testified Friday that the knife used to stab Devonna Walker penetrated her left lung and aorta, which resulted in her bleeding to death.

The depth of the horizontal stab wound was 9 centimeters — about 3.5 inches — and the injury went from left to right and front to back, Dr. Jonathan Thompson, a forensic pathologist, testified Friday in Linn County District Court.

The wound, he said, was “one of the deeper ones I’ve seen.”

The amount of force was “considerable” because it went through muscle between the ribs, the left lung and the pericardial sac around the heart, and penetrated the aorta, he said.

Walker, 29, who was 5 foot 7 inches tall and weighed 221 pounds, lost about 2 liters of blood, which put her in the “danger zone,” Thompson said.

Walker was fatally stabbed Jan. 2, 2023, when an argument escalated and she assaulted a neighbor, Shane Teslik, 38, and Teslik stabbed her once in the left chest outside his apartment at the Cambridge Townhouses, 2135 North Towne Ct. NE.

Teslik faces two charges — voluntary manslaughter, a felony, and disorderly conduct-epithets/threatening gesture, a simple misdemeanor.

According to testimony, Teslik threatened to kill Walker and called her a racial epithet before she punched him.

Teslik is claiming self-defense or in defense of others.

The prosecution continues its case Monday. The trial is expected to wrap up next week.

Thompson testified, as autopsy photos were shown to the jury, that Walker didn’t have any other injuries such as torn skin, scrapes or bruising on her hands.

According to earlier testimony and a video of the assault, Walker punched Teslik twice before he stabbed her.

Thompson said the toxicology report, as part of the autopsy report, showed Walker had alcohol, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in her system.

He couldn’t say how much she was under the influence of the drugs because some drugs can stay in the system longer than others and it depends whether a person has built up a tolerance to them.

On cross-examination by the defense, Thompson said he couldn’t say how any of those drugs affected her behavior or actions that night.

Thompson said the cause of death was the stab wound.

Police testimony

In other testimony, two Cedar Rapids police officers said when they arrived after the stabbing the scene was chaotic, with numerous people running around or standing around in the immediate area of Teslik’s apartment and others were outside of their apartments.

Officer Bryce Anders said he started CPR on Walker, who had been rolled over on her back. There was a large pool of blood in the grassy area, and she had blood on the left side of her chest.

A woman, Stephanie Hill, told him she had a video of the incident. She also pointed to Jessie Chavez, Teslik’s girlfriend, as being the person “who did it.”

Chavez was later taken into custody for questioning, along with Teslik.

During Anders’ testimony, the prosecution played the 911 call that Teslik made.

The video is difficult to hear because Teslik is screaming and yelling on the call. The dispatcher has to ask several times for him to calm and tell her what happened.

Teslik, on the call, said he stabbed someone and is repeatedly yelling about the police should have done something before this happened, referencing previous calls made by Chavez about their disputes with Walker and her alleged assaultive behavior

Officer Zachary O’Hare said when he arrived Chavez was “hysterical” and was staying near Walker, who was on the ground, and started “approaching” officers. O’Hare said he’d been told she was a potential suspect, so he placed her in handcuffs, which she resisted, until she was taken in for questioning.

At the police department, O’Hare took photos of Teslik for possible injuries. He had a small scrape on his nose. That photo was shown to the jury.

O’Hare, who wasn’t part of the interview process with Teslik and Chavez, said the two were taken home after being questioned.

Two neighbors in the Cambridge Townhouses also testified that they heard Teslik arguing with Walker and calling her a racial epithet.

Neighbor testifies

Lacey Kalb, 32, of Cedar Rapids, who lived in the town houses in January 2023, said she didn’t know Teslik or Chavez by name but recognized them as the neighbors who were arguing with Walker, who she also recognized as a neighbor, on Jan. 2, 2023.

The three were arguing in front of Teslik and Chavez’s apartment that night, Kalb testified. She saw Teslik was pacing and attempting to get Chavez to come inside.

The three were arguing about Teslik’s dog, who Walker thought was aggressive. She heard Teslik and Chavez use a racial epithet.

Kalb said she went inside and when she went back outside for a smoke, Walker was on the ground. Chavez was yelling at her, saying she was “faking it.” Teslik came out to get the dog and then went back inside.

Michelle Foster, 48, who still lives in the Cambridge complex, testified she was acquainted with Walker because their sons went to the same school. She recognized Chavez and Teslik as neighbors.

A few weeks before Christmas, she saw a “heated” argument between Walker and the couple. Teslik was “aggressive,” cursing at Walker and calling her a racial epithet.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks asked if he appeared to be violent, and Foster said yes.

Foster said Walker told Teslik to go away.

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