By John McLoone

At a court hearing earlier this moth, Kyle Steven Williams was ordered held without bail in the Dakota County Jail.

Williams is being held on a charge of 2nd Degree Homicide, With Intent – Not Premeditated in the death May 23 of Kelly Jo Marie Kocurek of Hastings. Williams, 32, is a Red Wing resident. He reportedly travelled to Arizona following Kocurek’s death at a Hastings hotel. He was extradited from there, and booked Sept. 21 into the Dakota County Jail.

According to Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena, Hastings police were called to a hotel where, “Williams ran out of the front of the hotel screaming for them to hurry to the room where he and (Kocurek) were staying. Officers were able to see a woman, subsequently identified as Ms. Kocurek, laying on the floor on her back. She was unresponsive and there were several cords appeared to be cut next to her. (Kocurek) had blood on her face and her face was bruised and swollen. Officers also observed marks around her neck. As the officers rendered aid, (Williams) continued to scream hysterically that (Kocurek) had strangled herself. (Kocurek) was transported to Regions Hospital where she was in a coma for five days before dying on May 23, 2021.”

Keena said officers interviewed numerous witnesses to piece together what had happened in the hours before the 911 call. The defendant and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship. Kocurek’s mother stated she had dropped both the victim and the defendant off at the hotel on May 17 but had last seen them at noon on May 18, when she dropped a bag off for her daughter. As they talked for a bit, Kelly was in good spirits. The Victim’s mother stated that she got a call from Williams around 1:20 p.m. that the Victim was unresponsive and needed help. She told Williams to call 911, and she drove to the hotel.

Officers spoke to a witness who works at the hotel. He told police that he saw the bag dropped off for Kocurek. About a half an hour later, he heard “boom, boom, boom, like people were wrestling or fighting.” See WILLIAMS Page 3 About 10 minutes after that, this witness heard a male voice yelling “Kelly! Kelly!”. Shortly after that, he saw Williams in the hallway with blood on him. Another witness who works at the hotel, told officers Williams came running to the front desk of the hotel and called 911. Williams allegedly gave numerous versions of what had occurred but repeatedly told police that Kocurek had strangled herself with a cord. Another person familiar with Kocurek told police that Kocurek had a pre-existing injury to her right arm, which limited her ability to use her hand, needing assistance with putting her clothes on and brushing her teeth.

An autopsy was performed by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office and determined that the Kocurek’s death was a homicide and that she died as a result of asphyxia due to ligature strangulation. The medical examiner noted several injuries related to the asphyxia which were inconsistent with self-inflicted injury, including a horizontal abrasion on the neck, a fracture of the hyoid bone, deep soft tissue hemorrhage, and petechial hemorrhage in both eyes. The medical examiner also noted the Victim had numerous traumatic head injuries he attributed to a physical assault, including bruises on her face, head, and ear, in addition to bilateral fractures of her jaw.

According to records from an Oct. 5 court appearance, a competency examination will be conducted on Williams that must occur in the jail. Dakota County Judge Dannia Edwards “found the examination cannot be conducted on an outpatient basis, and there is a need to confine the defendant during the examination. The court orders that the defendant be held in the Dakota County Jail and that the examination be conducted inpatient at Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter. The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office shall transport defendant to the facility or the court-appointed examiner shall conduct the examination where the defendant is being held,” according to court records.

Williams’ next court date is scheduled for Dec. 23 where a decision will be made on whether to reinstate the $2 million bail that was initially set when charges were filed.