Man Who Attacked Woman At St. Olaf Dorm Party Gets 7.5 Years

NORTHFIELD, MN — A Rice County judge on Monday sentenced William Davis Schulenberg to 91 months in prison for attacking four St. Olaf students with a knife and hammer during a 2022 dorm-room party, according to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

Ellison’s office prosecuted the case after a referral from Rice County Attorney Brian Mortenson.

Schulenberg, now convicted of one count of first-degree assault and three counts of second-degree assault, received a combined sentence of 7.5 years.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, Schulenberg climbed through a window into a campus dorm party on May 1, 2022, and attacked a young woman with a knife and hammer.

He struck her in the head several times and was pushing the knife toward her neck when three other students intervened. During the struggle, Schulenberg struck two rescuers with the hammer and cut the third with the knife before being subdued.

Ellison said in the release that his thoughts are with the victims and their families, adding that he is “praying for their healing.” He also thanked the students who intervened, crediting them with likely saving a life.

The Attorney General’s Office emphasized in the release that it generally does not have criminal prosecutorial authority except in limited circumstances such as section 8.01 referrals and Medicaid fraud cases. Most criminal prosecutions in Minnesota are handled by city and county attorneys.

Ellison also thanked the Northfield Police Department and Rice County Sheriff’s Office for assisting in the investigation and prosecution.