Worthington man convicted of stabbing man who died 15 hours later

WORTHINGTON - A Worthington man has been convicted of stabbing another city man that led to his death 15 hours later.

Chim LoVan was found guilty in Nobles County District Court of murder in the second and third degree, along with first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault, for last year’s stabbing of 19-year-old Blue Thyboualoy.

Thyboualoy died from his injuries nearly 15 hours after the June 20, 2015, incident at his home..

The jury of 11 women and one man found began deliberations at 2:45 p.m. and reached a verdict at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Ramsey County Medical Examiner Dr. Kelly Mills, who did an autopsy, testified that Thyboualoy’s death was ruled suspicious. Mills said Thyboualoy died from a stab wound that was less than an inch long externally, but was more than three inches deep and had punctured completely through Thyboualoy’s stomach and perforated his pancreas. She testified that there was more than a liter of blood located in Thyboualoy’s abdominal cavity. If Thyboualoy was treated immediately for his injuries, it is likely he would have survived, Mills added.

Though their accounts of the incidents were different, witnesses Ethan Duffy and Ryan Chomnarith’s testimony were similar in that LoVan was angry because Thyboualoy called him a racial slur and he was yelling when he approached the Thyboualoy household, the prosecution said. The prosecution also argued that Thyboualoy told police officers, before he died, that a man named "Monkey" (later identified as LoVan by officers) had stabbed him.