A man was found dead in the front yard of a home on the 4200 block of Portland Avenue early Sunday morning after suffering an apparent fatal stab wound, according to Minneapolis police. Officers responded to the scene around 6:45 a.m. following a 911 call reporting a person down in a yard, and found the victim already dead when they arrived.
Police are now investigating the death as a homicide, though they say they do not yet know the circumstances that led to the stabbing, according to Bring Me The News. No suspect has been identified, and no arrests have been made. As reported by KARE 11, the 911 call and subsequent police response set off what is now an active homicide investigation in the neighborhood.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward. Police have set up a dedicated investigative voicemail line at 612-673-5845 and an email address at [email protected] for tips related to the case. Those who wish to remain anonymous can also call Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip online through crimestoppersmn.org.
Victim's Identity Still Withheld Pending Autopsy
The victim's name has not been released. Under Minnesota Statute § 390.11, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner is legally required to conduct a medicolegal death investigation for any sudden, violent, or unnatural death, including homicides, before officially confirming cause of death and verifying identity, per the Minnesota Revisor's Office. That process explains why the man's identity and the full circumstances of the attack remain unknown to the public days after his death.
Sunday's stabbing is not the first violent incident along the Portland Avenue corridor this year. In March, Minneapolis police investigated two separate non-fatal stabbings occurring about an hour apart in South Minneapolis, including one near East 25th Street and Portland Avenue that prompted a SWAT response, according to CBS News. The 4200 block of Portland Avenue sits within Minneapolis Police Department Precinct 3, which together with Precinct 4 accounts for 61 percent of the city's violent crime incidents and 75 percent of its homicide victims, according to the City of Minneapolis.
Citywide Homicides Down Even as Local Violence Persists
The death comes even as Minneapolis has seen a broader decline in homicides this year. Mid-year crime data released in July from the Council on Criminal Justice showed homicides in Minneapolis fell 30 percent during the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The city had recorded 30 confirmed homicides in 2026 as of late August, down from 41 at the same point last year.
Minneapolis police have also posted strong results in solving the killings that do occur. The department closed out 2025 with an 80 percent homicide clearance rate, its highest solve rate in recent history, following investment in forensic resources and dedicated investigative protocols. Precinct 3 officers, meanwhile, have worked out of a downtown facility since May 2020 while the city continues to advance plans for a permanent South Minneapolis Community Safety Center at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue.
Sunday's case is at least the second Minneapolis death this month to draw scrutiny after being classified as a homicide. On August 27, police announced that a suspicious death initially reported in July as a possible overdose on Nicollet Avenue had been reclassified as a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner following forensic review, according to FOX 9. Hoodline also reported on a Loring Park case reclassified as a homicide just days before the Portland Avenue stabbing.
If convicted, a fatal stabbing would be prosecuted under Minnesota's murder statutes, which carry multi-decade prison sentences, while lesser assault with a dangerous weapon charges under Minnesota Statute § 609.222 carry penalties of up to seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine, or up to 10 years if substantial bodily harm results. No charges have been filed in this case, as police have not named a suspect. Anyone with information is urged to contact investigators or Crime Stoppers of Minnesota.
