Long Lake Man Charged with Biting, Strangling Woman

A Long Lake man has been charged with biting a woman severely enough that she required surgery to repair the wound, and strangling her to the point where blood vessels in her eyes ruptured.

Matthew Lawrence Parker, 35, is charged with two felonies: first-degree assault resulting in great bodily harm, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $30,000 fine, and domestic assault by strangulation, which has a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Parker remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $200,000 bond. An omnibus hearing in his case is scheduled July 19 in Hennepin County District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Orono Police Sgt. Tony Wittke, police were called to a home in the 3500 block of 6th Avenue North on June 16 by a woman who said her boyfriend had attacked her and was brandishing a knife.

The woman said she had fled and was hiding in the woods near her home. When police found her, her clothes, hair and face were covered in blood, she had a “gaping hole” in her lower lip and she appeared terrorized, according to Wittke’s account.

Officers found Parker, covered in blood, still inside the home, which showed evidence of a “violent assault,” according to the complaint. There was a large hole in one of the walls, with blood spattered on the floor and walls.

When police arrested him, Parker said, “I hurt [victim’s name]. I’m going to go away for a long time,” the complaint says.

Police interviewed the victim the next day, and observed that she showed signs of severe trauma. She had a black eye and redness around both eyes, with blood vessels in both eyes ruptured. She also required surgery to repair serious damage to her cheek and lip, including a 1x2-inch wound that was deep enough to damage the tissues in the victim’s lower jaw and gum, the complaint says.

The victim told officers that she and Parker had dated for about a year, and had lived together for several months. She said they went out drinking on June 15, and when they returned home, she confronted Parker about talking to other women.

The argument moved from the garage to the inside of the house, where Parker picked up the victim and threw her against a wall, she told police. She said she slumped to the floor, and when she regained consciousness, Parker had his hands wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air supply.

The woman said she passed out again, and when she woke up, Parker was biting her jaw and lower lip. She said Parker then stood up, dialed a number on the phone and said, “Daddy, I think I killed her,” according to the complaint.

The woman said she grabbed her cell phone and fled into the nearby woods.

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