A Manchester man accused of holding a knife to a woman’s throat and attempting to strangle her at an underage drinking party in Concord is being held without bail.
Jalen Murchison, 23, is also a suspect in an ongoing sexual assault investigation involving a different woman at the same party on Silk Farm Road, which police responded to twice in a five-hour time period, according to court documents.
Murchison faces felony charges of second-degree assault and criminal threatening, both of which are domestic violence-related. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of simple assault in connection with the incident, which unfolded on the night of Aug. 23 into Aug. 24.
Murchison waived his arraignment Aug. 26 in Merrimack County Superior Court in Concord, where a judge ordered preventative detention to ensure the community’s safety. Murchison was scheduled to appear in court Thursday for an evidentiary hearing, which was continued until an unspecified date by agreement.
Concord police first responded to a residence on Silk Farm Road on Aug. 23 at 11 p.m. for a report of an underage drinking party, where everyone present was over age 18 but some not yet 21. Officers initially issued two summonses for internal possession of alcohol and left the scene believing that the party-goers would disperse, according to an affidavit prepared by Detective Brian Womersley.
But approximately five hours later, police were called back to the residence for a report of a melee involving 10 people. Witnesses said the fight started after Murchison assaulted an intimate partner multiple times, causing her to lose consciousness.
Officers also spoke with a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by Murchison. Through interviews, police said they learned that Murchison’s intimate partner had walked in on the reported rape and that an argument later ensued between her and Murchison, who responded with physical violence.
The woman said when she became angry at Murchison, he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a stove in front of other party-goers. She said she lost her breath and felt like she was “just dying,” the affidavit says. Investigators observed several marks on the woman’s neck and bruising from where she was punched in the face.
At another point that evening, Murchison pulled out a pocket knife, exposed the blade and held it up against the woman’s throat, a friend of the victim’s told police.
Police interviewed Murchison approximately 12 hours after his arrest. He said he drank a “substantial” amount of alcohol at the party and did not recall striking the woman, strangling her or putting a knife to her throat. He acknowledged that there was a melee at the party but didn’t know what had fueled it.
Murchison has prior convictions for reckless conduct, simple assault, driving while intoxicated, criminal trespass, resisting arrest and theft. He was previously charged in Hillsborough County Superior Court with second-degree assault for attempted strangulation, but the charge was later reduced as part of a pleaded agreement reached with prosecutors.