Man accused of fatal stabbing of Black River Falls woman pleads not guilty

The man accused of fatally stabbing a Black River Falls woman in a pet park plead not guilty Wednesday.

23-year-old John Cook stood mute as the court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf to 1st degree intentional homicide of 30-year-old Jacinda Muir.

According to the criminal complaint Cook admitted to stabbing Muir on May 17 after stealing a bag of meth from her and prodding her into the wooded area using his knife.

Cook told authorities he was just going to beat up Muir, but it escalated and he stabbed her.  

A forensic pathologist with the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of Muir’s death to be multiple stab wounds to the torso and neck. 

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