Plummer Man Charged In Cousin’s Death Suspect Allegedly Stabbed Relative During Argument

A Plummer, Idaho, man was charged with second-degree murder Monday for allegedly stabbing his cousin at least three times with a filet knife.

Frankie L. SiJohn, 25, also of Plummer, died Saturday night after he and his cousin Michael A. Samuels got into a fight at the Log Dog Bar in Plummer. The men were best friends.

It appears Samuels stabbed SiJohn because SiJohn did not take him to a Washington State University basketball game Saturday, said assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Peters.

But family members said they have no ill feelings toward Samuels, 37.

“We feel just as bad for Mike as we do for Frankie,” said Cindy Ladeaux, a cousin. “None of us are holding a grudge, we wish only the best for him.”

Investigators may not be so forgiving.

“There is every intention of pursuing the investigation to try and establish at what level this did occur,” said Sgt. Mike LeMieux of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

“It (the charge) may go up higher to first-degree murder once we finish our investigation.”

SiJohn arrived at the Log Dog bar in Plummer before 11 p.m. Saturday night, according to U.S. District Court records. He had just returned from a basketball game between WSU and the University of Washington, Peters said.

Witnesses told investigators that an upset Samuels confronted SiJohn inside the bar.

“Why … didn’t you take me to the game,” he demanded of his cousin, witnesses said.

The two stood in a corner of the tavern for about 10 minutes and appeared to be arguing, according to court documents. Samuels pulled out a filet knife and stabbed SiJohn multiple times, the report said.

Sgt. LeMieux said it appears SiJohn was stabbed at least three times, if not more.

SiJohn was rushed to Kootenai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. BIA officers arrested Samuels outside the bar, located on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation. Samuels’s blood alcohol level was measured at .17, according to court documents. A person is considered to be legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol level reaches 0.10 percent.

“That’s what alcohol does,” Ladeaux said. “We hope this didn’t happen in vain,” she said, explaining that the family hopes the children will learn about the dangers of alcohol from SiJohn’s death.

The SiJohn family is a large and prominent family in the Coeur d’Alene tribal leadership. Henry SiJohn is a longtime tribal council member.

Frankie SiJohn worked as a maintenance man at the tribal headquarters. He enjoyed fishing and playing basketball and was a WSU Cougar fan, his cousin Ladeaux said.

“His sudden departure is a total shock to very many people,” said Donna Matheson, communications director for the tribe.

SiJohn had a 3-year-old daughter, Keisha Marie Stensgar, the granddaughter of the tribal chairman.

“He was a warm, big-hearted person,” Ladeaux said. Samuels was a carpenter until injured in a fall on a construction site. He has four sons between the ages of five and 16, Ladeaux said.

“He and Frankie were not only cousins, they were best friends,” Ladeaux said. “They were always laughing, and joking and teasing. They were a couple of characters.”

Samuels will have a preliminary hearing in federal court today. Ladeaux said both men’s family members will be there to give support to Samuels.

“We would not allow something like that to divide us,” Ladeaux said. “He is a good man, too.”

, DataTimes