A Virginia student is behind bars after authorities found her roommate lying in a pool of blood inside a Radford apartment on Thursday morning.
The Roanoke Times reports that 21-year-old Luisa Ines Tudela Harris Cutting is accused of killing 20-year-old Alexa Cannon in their shared apartment off of the 1200 block of Clement Street. The apartment complex is a few blocks away from Radford University, where both women were students.
Authorities responded to the scene after a 911 call; a dispatcher reported hearing a woman screaming “and making reference to a knife.” When officers arrived, Cutting allegedly told them to arrest her and admitted she stabbed the victim.
“Arrest me. I killed her,” Cutting said as she put her hands in the air, according to the arrest warrant.
The arrest warrant also indicated authorities found Cannon lying on the floor inside the apartment, in a pool of blood with up to 40 stab wounds inflicted and a “butcher knife sticking out of her mouth.”
It’s unclear what events or issued led up to the stabbing. Social media depicted the roommates as close friends. In July, Cannon posted a photo of her “best friend” Cutting, congratulating her on becoming the president of the Latinos Student Alliance.
So incredibly proud of my best friend, Luisa Cutting for becoming Latinos Student Alliance's President! I know you're going to be amazing with everything you do! Love you more!!
Posted by Alexa Cannon on Monday, July 9, 2018
“I really wanna know what was the motive behind it because they were best friends since freshman year, and that was in 2016,” Radford student Shelton Lewis told CBS 7. “Now it’s 2019 and this has happened. I thought that we were all gonna graduate next year.”
Officers arrested Cutting and charged her with second-degree murder. The incident marked the first murder in eight years at Radford University. The suspect was placed on interim suspension.
Cutting was arraigned on Friday at Radford General District Court.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any information is urged to call the Radford City Police Department at 540-731-3624, or email crimestoppers@radfordva.gov.
[Feature Photo: Luisa Cutting/Police Handout; Alexa Cannon/Facebook]
