Charges Filed In Senseless Murder Of A St Cloud Man

No matter how you look at it, this terrible scenario was totally unnecessary.  One man dead and another most likely going to prison for decades, at least.

All this over some kind of disagreement.  Have our fuses really gotten this short lately?  I assume the victim, Ryan Decker, probably has a family and I can't imagine what a shock the news of his unexpected demise was to them.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, 33 year old Chaz Stubblefield was charged with 2nd degree murder in the death of Ryan Decker, 46 of St Cloud.

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The criminal complaint states that on March 24th, Chaz Stubblefield was seen on surveillance camera at Stop & Shop on East Lake Street around 11:51 PM. About a minute later, Ryan Decker and a friend went into the store and were informed that they needed to wear a mask inside the store.

Ryan Decker left the store and as he was leaving it appeared on camera that there was slight contact between him and Chaz Stubblefield.  Stubblefield then punched Decker in the back and the two men exchanged words.

Decker returned to his car and was about to get in when Stubblefield caught up to him and after a confrontation, spat at him. Decker threw a punch and Stubblefield pulled out a gun and shot Decker in the head, according to the complaint.

Ryan Decker was taken to a hospital and died a short time later. According to Stubblefield, Decker used a racial slur after bumping into him in the store.

Bail was set at $1 million a without conditions and $700,000 with conditions.

This just all seems so senseless and avoidable. Just think if things had gone a different way.  The two men exchange words and get in their own cars, drive home to their families. There are a few different scenarios but pulling a gun and shooting someone in the head would not be the desirable one.