Casper Police say the arrest of a suspect in Gillette and a car crash in the North Platte River are both tied to a local stabbing.

On Thursday March 21st, Casper Police announced the arrest of 26-year old Zacharia Johnson in Gillette.

He has been charged with aggravated assault and aggravated burglary.

Court documents indicate he is a suspect in the stabbing of Robert Masterson earlier this month in Casper.

Beverly Stabbing
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According to investigators, on March 4th, Masterson answered his apartment door on the 700 block of South Beverly Street, looked through the peephole and saw only his neighbor.

Court documents say he invited her in, but Johnson pushed by her, opened the door, grabbed Masterson from behind, and a fight ensued, which resulted in Masterson being stabbed 8 times in the neck, torso, leg and stomach.

He was taken to the hospital for a collapsed lung and perforated stomach.

There was another man present, who turned out to be Robert Simmons, who later told investigators that during the scuffle, he picked up a knife and stabbed Masterson once.

A motive for the stabbing has not been determined, but Masterson told police that one person told him he knew why.

Car In North Platte River
Kevin Koile - TownSquareMedia
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While checking Simmons for injuries, police confiscated a knife.

Detectives were later informed by fire personnel at the hospital, that Simmons told them something to the effect that he was trying to "atone his sins for stabbing a guy the other night," and that was the reason he drove his car into the river.

Johnson's bond was set at $50,000 and he is awaiting trial.

The investigation into Simmons is still ongoing.

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