OGDEN — A Roy man now faces an attempted murder charge after police say an argument between him and a coworker turned into a violent stabbing early Friday morning.

Kay Karnes, 22, was charged in 2nd District Court with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, and aggravated assault, a second-degree felony.

Sometime around 1 a.m. Friday, Karnes, who police say was working at a warehouse at 960 W. White Drive, and a coworker got into an argument that “became more heated as they exchanged verbally with each other,” according to charging documents.

Related
Police: Man stabbed two co-workers in Ogden

“At one point, (Karnes) went and grabbed a steak style kitchen knife with a black handle and serrated teeth,” the documents read.

Karnes returned to the warehouse and continued arguing. That’s when police say he tackled the man to the ground and attempted to stab him “in the neck three different times.”

As Karnes was on top of his coworker, a second woman intervened, grabbing his knife-wielding hand, according to the charges. Karnes forcibly pulled his hand back, cutting the woman’s left middle, ring, and pinky fingers, severing ligaments in her hand and leaving her with two deep lacerations that police say required 17 stitches.

An emergency room doctor later told police that she could “potentially lose the full function in her left hand permanently.”

View Comments

The man told investigators he was “deeply thankful for” the woman “because without her intervention he believed that he would have been killed during this incident.”

The woman also told police she believed Karnes was “intent” on killing the man “and would have succeeded if she had not intervened.”

After the stabbing, police say Karnes hid the knife in the warehouse and fled the scene. He was later arrested in Clearfield and told police he “intentionally grabbed the knife” but only to scare the victim “because of the fight that was breaking out.”

“Kay denied attempting to stab victim 1 but did confirm that he pulled his hand back when victim 2 grabbed him,” according to the charges.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.