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Levi Acre-Kendall charged with murdering fisherman Peter Kelly during fight over swearing

A 19-year-old Minnesota teen has been charged with fatally stabbing a 34-year-old father-of-five after an argument on the Wisconsin side of the St Croix River.about swearing took a deadly turn.

Peter Kelly, who leaves behind a wife in addition to five children under the age of nine, was killed on Tuesday night when he was stabbed in the chest after he and a friend argued with three teens. 

One of the teenagers, Levi Acre-Kendall, was charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide on Friday by the Polk County attorney's office.

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Peter Kelly was fatally stabbed on Tuesday night at the St Croix River after an argument with three teenagers

Peter Kelly was fatally stabbed on Tuesday night at the St Croix River after an argument with three teenagers

Levi Acre-Kendall, 19, was charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide on Friday

Levi Acre-Kendall, 19, was charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide on Friday

Kelly and his wife Christie, pictured, have four sons and a daughter all under the age of nine. He was just 34

Kelly and his wife Christie, pictured, have four sons and a daughter all under the age of nine. He was just 34

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The suspect, who was held on $125,000 bail, is now facing a maximum sentence of 60 years of combined prison and extended supervision.

During the alleged incident, Kelly and Ross Lechman were fishing on the Minnesota side of the St Croix River when they heard three teens being loud and rude on the Wisconsin side.

They asked them to quiet down and heated words were exchanged for the next three hours. 

The suspect's mother, Lavonne Acre, said of her son: 'Levi's a good kid. He was just fishing'

The suspect's mother, Lavonne Acre, said of her son: 'Levi's a good kid. He was just fishing'

Kelly and Lechman eventually drover over to Interstate Park and confronted the three teenagers. 

There are differing accounts about what happened, but Lechman told investigators Acre-Kendall showed a knife during the argument, the Pioneer Press reported. 

He later reportedly said: 'Yes, yes, I stabbed him.'

Lechman called 911 after the stabbing and Kelly was taken to St Croix Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. 

Acre-Kendall's mother, Lavonne Acre, turned a knife and clothes her son was wearing on Tuesday over to police, the Star Tribune reported. 

She said: 'All I can tell you is that it would have never happened if it weren't for those two older men coming to the boys, because the boys were just fishing.

'Levi's a good kid. He was just fishing.' 

There is still uncertainty about stabbing and the argument that caused it. 

Polk County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Moe said: 'I think it's just something that we're still aggressively working on, is all.'

Acre-Kendall is now facing a maximum sentence of 60 years of combined prison and extended supervision

Acre-Kendall is now facing a maximum sentence of 60 years of combined prison and extended supervision

Now the small community in St Croix Falls, which has just 2,100 people, is mourning the loss of Kelly, who volunteered as a coach at the high school's football, baseball and wrestling teams.

He would often go to work at 4am so he could get back in time to coach before dinner, fellow high school coach Dan Clark said.

His day job was at Andersen Windows in Bayport, where he worked in quality control.

'He worked 10 to 12 hours a day at Andersen Windows, and he would come home and volunteer four hours a night to our wrestling program for four or five months a year,' Clark told Fox9.

'He was one of the greatest human beings that I ever hoped to meet.'

His wife, Christie, stays at home to care for their children.

They have four boys, Kellen, Payton, Miles and August, and last year welcomed a baby girl, Molly.

Kelly and Ross Lechman were fishing on the Minnesota side of the St Croix River when the argument began

Kelly and Ross Lechman were fishing on the Minnesota side of the St Croix River when the argument began

'I don't think they fully understand the implications of what happened,' his brother, Mike Kelly, told KARE. 'His daughter will never even get to know him.' 

Friends and family added that they do not believe Kelly was to blame for the confrontation. 

'He did good things, and did what was right all the time,' his brother added. 'And that's probably what cost him. Some knuckleheads swearing and being silly.'

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 715-485-8300.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up for the family.  

Peter Kelly leaves behind a wife and five children Peter's brother, Mike Kelly, was devastated

Peter Kelly's brother, Mike Kelly (right), said the dead man's children did not understand what had happened

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