Jilted Sonoma Co. Man Stabbed Friend in Self Defense, He Says

A Rohnert Park man charged with the stabbing murder of a friend who wooed his girlfriend broke down during his testimony Thursday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Daniel Dieters, 27, lost his calm demeanor and cried when his attorney projected onto a screen a photo of the body of 22-year-old Roy “R.J.” Kauwe lying in a pool of blood in Kauwe’s Rohnert Park apartment.

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office is alleging Dieters stabbed Kauwe, 22, on March 20, 2014 because he learned his girlfriend Kayla Lindsay was leaving him for Kauwe.

Lindsay sent a text to Kauwe that night warning him Dieters was either going to kill him in his apartment or kill her where she lived, according to trial testimony.

Dieters said he had no intention of hurting Kauwe when he went to Kauwe’s Laguna Drive apartment to talk. He testified he and Kauwe remained friends and continued playing video games even though Lindsay seemed undecided whether she should stay with him or leave him for Kauwe.

He said he and Lindsay eventually broke up on March 17, 2014 and he became depressed.He said he and Lindsay had been living together but he then rented a hotel room.

He testified he wasn’t mad at Kauwe “because he didn’t do anything to make it happen.”

Dieters said he realized it was a bad idea to go to Kauwe’s apartment on March 20, 2014 because Kauwe, who owned knives, swords and guns, was tense and behaving strangely when he arrived at the darkened apartment.

Dieters testified he now believes Kauwe was acting strangely because Lindsay told Kauwe that he intended to kill either him or her.

Dieters said he started to leave but Kauwe blocked his path and raise a knife he had in his hand. The two struggled, Dieters said, and he stabbed Kauwe in self-defense to prevent Kauwe from getting a gun in the bedroom.

Kauwe was stabbed seven times in the throat, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Rohnert Park police said Dieters and Lindsay were outside the apartment when they arrived.

Dieters testified he called 911 because he was “freaking out” and Kauwe needed help.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock