Man killed in Waterloo stabbing identified

WATERLOO - Police said a man died after someone stabbed him Tuesday.

Police responded at 5:41 p.m. to the 1800 block of West Third Street. First responders transported the victim, identified Wednesday afternoon as 38-year-old Shawonyta Norman, to a hospital, where he later died.

Officers arrested Martez Smith, 45, on assault charges at the house where the stabbing occurred. It is Smith's third domestic assault charge. Police have identified Smith as a suspect in the stabbing, but have not yet charged him in connection with the case. Smith remains in the Black Hawk County Jail on a $100,000 cash bond.

In court documents, the assault victim was identified as Latres Johnson and indicate Johnson lived with Smith for four years at the address where stabbing ocurred. On social media, Johnson repeatedly referred to Norman as her brother.

Several witnesses saw police arrive, including Brad Brist, the next door neighbor. Brist said he didn't know anything was significantly wrong at first.

'I got home five minutes before it happened. I didn't see or hear anything. I saw flashing lights out the window, but people get pulled over here frequently and that's what I thought it was,” he said. Some witnesses had heard rumors of what happened inside. Most seemed to believe it involved a domestic problem and possibly a relative of someone who tried to intervene.

Court documents in the assault case show Smith was inside with Johnson when he called her a name and 'then pushed her into a child's doorway gate, causing it to break.” The complaint also says Smith continued to assault Johnson and left the duplex before police arrived.

Lt. Greg Fangman, Waterloo police investigator, said officials weren't ready to connect Smith to the stabbing just yet.

'We are looking into the possibility there is a connection. At this point we are not willing to say there is a connection. That's to be determined,” he said.

Court documents detail police caught up with Smith after he left the home where the stabbing ocurred and refused to talk to police about the domestic assault case.