WINONA, Minn. – A Red Wing man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for fatally stabbing a Winona man he caught in bed with his girlfriend. The sentence for Sean Emmons, 38, was less than it could have been because of a plea deal. Emmons agreed in May to plead guilty to second-degree murder if a felony assault charge for the the stabbing was dropped – and also several felony drug charges in Rochester. The Rochester charges included selling meth. Judge Nancy Buytendorp accepted the plea deal, which led to the 12-year sentence. The stabbing was in Winona in September. Police said Emmons sneaked through a window into an apartment on Sarnia Street and found his girlfriend in bed with Eric Gaulke, 43. Emmons shanked Gaulke in a knee. Not wanting to contact police because of drug-dealing issues, Gaulke waited two days to seek medical attention. He died in the hospital two days after that. An autopsy concluded the death was due to complications from the stab wound. It was homicide., the coroner ruled.
Earlier: Guilty plea in Winona knifing death
Judicial overlap
How could Rochester drug charges be dropped by a Winna judge? The Winona County Court is part of Minnesota’s Rochester-based Third Judicial District. The district includes Dodge, Filmore, Freeborn, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca and Winona counties. The district has 24 judges, two of whom are stationed in Winona.