Mother Finds Son Dead In Burnsville Park; Was Killed On Morning Walk, Police Say

BURNSVILLE, MN — A 59-year-old Faribault man’s morning walk through a Burnsville park ended in a brutal and seemingly random killing, prosecutors say. His mother found him unresponsive and bleeding under a picnic table in Interlachen Park.

Investigators linked the crime to a local man through DNA, surveillance video, and a pair of shoes found in a park porta-potty.

Michael Lual Nhial, 21, of Burnsville, was charged last week with one count of second-degree intentional murder in the death of David Stuart Chant.

Nhial is currently being held at the Dakota County Jail. He was recently civilly committed due to mental illness and is awaiting placement at the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Facility.

According to court documents, on May 3 at about 8:10 a.m., Chant’s mother called police after finding her son cold to the touch with swelling to his head, mouth, and eyes.

Officers and medical personnel arrived within minutes and attempted life-saving measures, but Chant was declared dead at the scene. Two broken and bent walking sticks that he used for medical purposes were found nearby.

Officers searching the park found a pair of shoes in a porta-potty. Blood on one shoe was later determined through DNA testing to belong to Chant. DNA from both Chant and Nhial was also found on the shoes, according to the complaint.

Surveillance video from 12:19 a.m. showed Nhial walking around the underground garage of his apartment complex wearing shoes similar in style and color to those found in the porta-potty, police said.

Another video from 1:43 a.m. captured audio from the park of two voices arguing, followed by thumping sounds, according to authorities.

Chant can be heard saying, "Give me my cane back," before repeated shouts of "Ow" and the slam of a porta-potty door, police said.

Nhial’s mother called police at 8:43 a.m., saying her son was missing and had been increasingly aggressive at home. Nhial lived with her in an apartment near the park, and police had been called there multiple times before.

An autopsy by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Chant died from blunt force trauma to the head. His death was ruled a homicide.

Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena thanked the Burnsville Police Department for what she called a thorough investigation.