Salem State Student Sentenced in Unprovoked Stabbing of Professor

SALEM, MA — An Amesbury man and former Salem State student plead guilty in Salem Superior Court Tuesday to an unprovoked stabbing attack on a university professor in March, according to Essex County District Attorney spokeswoman Carrie Kimball-Monahan.

Stephen Chastain, 25, plead guilty to two attempted murder counts, strangulation and assault and battery, according to the report. The Salem Superior Court judge sentenced him to 4.5 to 5.5 years in state prison.

Prosecutors said the attack against professor Pierre Walker happened in a men's bathroom on March 30. Chastain allegedly came out of a stall and started choking Walker, and then stabbed the English professor between 20-30 times, according to the Essex County District Attorney's office's statements back in March.

According to a report by the Salem News, Chastain's prison termwill be followed by five years of probation, and two years of wearing a GPS bracelet that will alert authorities if he enters either Salem or Beverly.

Read more from the Salem News here.

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