Special from the Austin Daily Herald

The Albert Lea man charged in the stabbing death of a 21-year-old Austin man

appeared in Third District Court Thursday.

Tobias Telles, 25, is charged by the State of Minnesota with murder in the second degree, which holds a maximum prison sentence of no more than 40

years, in the death of Robert Walker Jr., of Austin.

Telles, with public defenders Paul Spyhalski and Matthew Arthurs, entered a not guilty plea before the court.

State attorney Cheri Townsend and Tracy Perzel, from the Minnesota Attorney

General’s office asked Judge Casey J. Christian to issue a no contact order for witnesses in the trial.

Townsend said those listed on the no-contact list are material witnesses to the defense and no contact is needed in order to stop manipulating of the evidence.

Those listed on the no-contact list are Ryan Waldee, Ryan Walker, Eli Lopez, Adam Slores, Beth Belshan, Zach Gordon, Andy Johnson, Sherry Slowinski, Jason Attleson and Deric Moore.

Townsend told the court that some of witnesses that are friends of Telles were asked by the defendant to look for the murder weapon. Another witness, Moore, admitted to police that he was hiding from police after the incident.

Christian granted a temporary no-contact order for the 10 potential witnesses.

Tobias allegedly got into an argument with Walker at The Bakery Lounge in downtown Austin Sept. 2.

Tobias later allegedly fatally stabbed Walker in the abdomen in northwest Austin where Walker’s body was later found by police at 1:35 a.m. Sept. 3.

The murder weapon was later found by police and is being held as evidence for the case.

A pretrial date was set for January.