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Fallen Officer’s Daughter Stabbed in Barn

Posted at 9:42 PM, May 22, 2013
and last updated 2013-05-22 22:36:38-04

CASTLETON STABBINGCASTLETON TWP, Mich.- Wednesday, 26-year-old Samantha Minehart was stabbed while feeding the horse in her family’s barn.  Police were called to the home for reports of a stabbing and gunshots fired around 11 a.m.  Police set up a perimeter, but the suspect was not found.

The Minehart Family says this is the 3rd time they’ve had to call police because there were strange people outside their home.  One time, it ended with Samantha’s Fiancé being punched.

Patty Minehart, Samantha’s mother, described Wednesday’s attack, “He just told her don’t do anything stupid when he had the knife around her neck.”

There are marks where Samantha had the knife held to her neck.  She was stabbed in the stomach and leg resulting in 11 stitches.  Samantha says the man left as she fired two shots, missing him both times.  Patty says Samantha was carrying a gun because they’ve had problems before.

“This is the third time we’ve had the police out here and last time there was two people here.” She continues, “Nobody, none of us know who they are, we don’t know what they want.”

Police used K-9 units and set up a perimeter with no luck, Patty says, “So, this guy is still out there running around someplace.” 

Patty says the only reason she can imagine someone would come after her family is because her husband was a public safety officer in Kalamazoo.  Officer John Minehart, known as “Spike”, died in 2008 from health complications after being hit in the line of duty in 1991.

Patty says, “Let me tell you, I wish he was around right now.”  

The Barry County Sheriff’s Department says at this point there is nothing to indicate that there is any threat to the public.  They say the incident remains under investigation.  Anyone with information on the stabbing is urged to call the Barry County Sheriff’s Department.