Kersten Francilus, who lives in a nearby community, is accused of attacking a woman<\/a> in her 70s as she walked her dog Friday in the Southwood neighborhood in Stuart, Sheriff John Budensiek said.<\/p>\n Neighbors had called deputies shortly before the attack to report a suspicious man going door to door and asking unusual questions.<\/p>\n “We receive multiple calls in this community. The Southwood community, which is a quiet, higher end community here in Martin County. Multiple calls of a suspicious male walking door to door and interacting with different people,” Budensiek said during a news conference.<\/p>\n The Martin County Sheriff\u2019s Office said 25-year-old Kersten Francilus was charged with murder following the vicious, unprovoked stabbing death of a woman. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n GOT A TIP?<\/a><\/p>\n “He asked several times, several different people where the new bank was. There’s no bank around here,” he said.<\/p>\n Witnesses described the man as calm and nonconfrontational during those encounters, the sheriff said.<\/p>\n A short time later, authorities received<\/a> additional calls reporting that the same man was attacking a woman in a cul-de-sac.<\/p>\n A deputy who was already en route to investigate the suspicious activity arrived to find the suspect “actively stabbing” the victim while she lay on the ground, Budensiek said.<\/p>\n “Our suspect was on top of her, actually actively stabbing her,” he said.<\/p>\n A woman in her 70s died after a “violent, vile homicide” in a residential Stuart community, where investigators say the attack appeared random. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n A brave good Samaritan attempted to intervene but was unable to stop the attack before deputies arrived<\/a>, officials said.<\/p>\n When confronted by the deputy, Francilus immediately dropped the knife and surrendered.<\/p>\n The victim suffered stab wounds to the upper torso and was transported to Cleveland Clinic Martin South, where she died, authorities said.<\/p>\n “This was a violent, vile homicide<\/a>,” Budensiek said.<\/p>\n Authorities say a man knocking on doors and asking about a nonexistent bank fatally attacked a woman moments later in an unprovoked stabbing. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n Police said there is no known connection between Francilus and the victim, and no clear motive has been identified.<\/p>\n “At this point, this appears like an extremely violent, random act of violence,” Budensiek said.<\/p>\n FOLLOW US ON X<\/a><\/p>\n A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder after deputies say he randomly stabbed a woman to death while she was walking her dog in a quiet Martin County neighborhood. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n Francilus was taken into custody at the scene and later booked into the Martin County Jail. Authorities said the knife used in the attack was a steak knife believed to have come from his home.<\/p>\n GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL<\/a><\/p>\n The sheriff\u2019s office said Francilus has no known criminal history, though deputies had previously responded to a call involving him acting strangely at his residence.<\/p>\n![\"Kersten](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kersten-Francilus-Booking-Photo.jpeg\")
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