Man Accused Of Brookline Stabbing Held Without Bail

BROOKLINE, MA — The Brookline man accused of fatally stabbing killing a 20-year-old at a local park this week was held without bail.

Singha Oeun, 21, of Egmont Street, is charged with killing Nicolas "Cole" Kern, 20, early Tuesday morning at Amory Park. On Thursday morning, his attorney entered a not guilty plea to one charge of murder at Brookline District Court

Oeun walked into the court wearing a black t-shirt, the sound of his shackles clanging as he took a seat in a holding area near the judge's bench. The Commonwealth requested he be held without bail, and his attorney did not push back. He's set to return to court Dec. 19.

Police said they received a 911 call around 1:35 a.m. and found Kern in Amory Park — near Amory and Freeman streets suffering from about 10 stab wounds, and a friend of Kern's was with him. According to the police report he was stabbed in the heart, neck and bowel area. He was rushed to a hospital, and underwent emergency surgery but succumbed to his injuries at 12:51 p.m., according to the police report.

When police searched the park, they found a broken vodka bottle where Kern was first found. Kern's friend told police the two met up in the Fenway area earlier, and Kern acquired a bottle of vodka from a local store and got drunk, according to the report. The friend told police that Kern made a number of calls and arranged to meet someone at Amory Park to get prescription pills around 12:30 a.m., but didn't have money on him.

When the other man arrived, the friend said they met, and then there was a struggle that ended with Kern falling to the ground.

Police said they found Kern's cell phone and were able to track communications he had on Snapchat back to Oeun.

Someone who lived with Oeun in an Egmomt apartment separately called police to report Oeun had been in some sort of fight that involved a stabbing.

When investigators looked at a relative's cell phone that she gave to them, they found communication that implicated him, according to the report:

"It's all good my friend hid the knife in Allston... He was intoxicated and try to rob me," and "I ditched the knife in Allston," and "No witnesses, relax."

The relative told police Oeun told her he went to sell something to a man earlier and the man was holding a broken bottle, according to the report. She said Oeun told her he stabbed him in the leg after the man tried to tackle him.

Police later found blood on clothes in Oeun's room and hamper.

Kern's death marks the first murder since 2006 in the town.

After the appearance, Oeun whispered something into his court-appointed attorney and walked, shackled back downstairs, where prisoners are transported.

Previously on Patch:

• FBI Crime Stats: Where Brookline Stands
• Woman Attacked On Beacon Street: Police Call it Hate
• Arrests Down: Brookline Police Release 2018 Year
• Stabbing At Amory Park: Brookline Man Arrested, Charged With Murder
• Fatal Stabbing Stuns Brookline Neighborhood

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).