It ‘tore’ her apart when Devonna Walker’s friend saw her lying on the ground, bleeding

CEDAR RAPIDS — A woman who considered Devonna Walker her “goddaughter” said it “tore me apart” when she went outside and saw Walker lying on the ground, bleeding, and then saw her “eyes rolled back in her head.”

Sheila Thomas, who lived next door to Walker on Jan. 2. 2023, testified Walker had been with her that day and over the holiday weekend and they had been having a fun time, making videos, doing Walker’s hair and cooking chicken. Thomas was keeping Walker’s children — “babies” as she called them — and also had her 3-year-old grandson.

Thomas didn’t know what happened outside the apartment. She didn’t know Walker had been stabbed by Shane Teslik, who is on trial for voluntary manslaughter. Another neighbor came to her door, saying Walker was on the ground and had been hit or fell.

Thomas did know about a previous incident between Walker and Teslik that happened Dec. 19, 2022, which other witnesses testified about last week during his trial in Linn County. Thomas said Teslik told Walker to shut up and called her a racial epithet.

According to testimony, an argument on Jan. 2, 2023 escalated and Teslik, 38, threatened to kill Walker, 29, and called her that same racial epithet that he had also allegedly called her on Dec. 19, 2022.

On Jan. 2, Walker ran at Teslik, knocking over his girlfriend, Jessie Chavez, before she punched him twice and then he stabbed her once in the left side of the chest outside his apartment at the Cambridge Townhouses, 2135 North Towne Ct. NE.

Teslik also is charged disorderly conduct — epithets/threatening gesture, a simple misdemeanor.

The prosecution should wrap up its case Tuesday and the defense will start.

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Walker’s friend testifies about December 2022 fight

Thomas testified that on Dec. 19, 2022, she was with Walker and another person outside her apartment when Chavez came up and told Walker to shut up. Teslik told her the same thing and called Walker the epithet.

Thomas said Walker turned to her and asked if he called her that slur and Thomas agreed and said “Yeah, we are all Black here.” Thomas told Walker to ignore him and call the police.

Thomas went back to her apartment, but she said when Walker came back to her place, she was “so angry.” She tried to calm Walker down and told her to not pay any attention to Teslik.

On cross, Thomas said she didn’t know Walker had used any drugs. She knew Walker had been drinking alcohol.

In previous testimony last week, the autopsy showed Walker had methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana in her system on Jan. 2.

Thomas also said she didn’t know of Walker to be armed — carrying a bat or pipe.

Neighbor recorded video because she ‘thought it would be funny’

Stephanie Hill, also a neighbor of Walker’s, said she heard a disturbance outside on Jan. 2, 2023, and decided to take a video of it on her cellphone because Walker, Chavez and Teslik had engaged in arguments in the past. She said initially, she decided to take a video because she thought it would be funny. Hill said she didn’t know what was going to happen.

The argument started escalating as Walker was on the sidewalk in front of Teslik’s and Chavez’s apartment, Hill said. Hill testified that Teslik repeatedly told Chavez to come inside but she wouldn’t. Teslik told Walker to leave. Hill said she then saw Teslik open the door, he called Walker the epithet and that’s when Walker screamed and ran toward his door.

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Walker made contact with Chavez, who fell over, and Walker “tripped over her” and went for Teslik in his doorway, Hill said. Walker punched Teslik and he made an “uppercut motion.” Hill said she didn’t know Teslik had a knife and stabbed Walker.

Walker went back toward the sidewalk, stumbled around and then collapsed in the front yard.

Hill said Chavez was walking around saying Walker was “faking it.” Hill told police when they arrived that “she did this,” but she testified that she meant “they did this” — Chavez and Teslik.

Hill said she thinks Walker was dead before police or emergency medical personnel started CPR.

Knife used to stab Walker was found in Teslik’s apartment

In other testimony, Kraig Kruger, Cedar Rapids police crime scene investigator, testified about the knife used in the stabbing that was found in Teslik’s apartment.

The butcher knife, which has about an 8-inch blade, was found on the countertop next to the sink, Kruger testified. It had blood on the blade, covering more than 5 inches of the blade.

Last Friday, a state medical examiner testified the depth of the horizontal stab wound was 9 cm and the injury went from left to right and front to back as it entered the body.

Dr. Jonathan Thompson, deputy state medical examiner and also a forensic pathologist, testified the stab wound was “one of the deeper ones I’ve seen.”

The knife penetrated Walker’s left lung and aorta, which resulted in her bleeding to death.

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