Investigators have the rest of the story involving a man who was stabbed during a home invasion at Smartt Station last week. The rest of the story includes the arrest the knife-wielding suspect.
Travis Ryan Butcher, 33, has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated burglary. He is charged with stabbing William Murphy last week at a home in Smartt Station. Murphy sustained three-inch lacerations to a leg and arm. Lawmen worried they would not be able to crack the case due to lack of cooperation from the victim.
However, sheriff’s investigators say they have evidence to show Butcher was the man who committed the attack. The reason is not what they first thought.
“Travis Butcher went to Smartt Station Road after he found that Murphy had cut a power cord on his laptop computer,” said sheriff’s investigator Aaron Roberts.
Murphy told investigators he heard a loud knock on the door that woke him from his nap. Thinking it was his sister and her boyfriend, he opened the door to a rude awakening.
“Butcher struck him in the head with the laptop computer,” Roberts said, noting cracking Murphy over the head was just the start. “He pushed him into the house and continued to assault him once inside. During the altercation, Butcher pulled and knife and cut the victim on his leg and arm.”
Roberts said Murphy required stitches to close the wounds.