Rudolf Knapp, 59, of Wisconsin, is in jail on attempted first‑degree intentional homicide, strangulation, battery, and disorderly conduct charges after allegedly strangling his girlfriend in a violent, late‑night attack in Little Chute, Wisconsin.
What the woman told police
Police responded to a home on Sunday night after the woman’s son called 911, saying his mother was “screaming for help” and being choked by an “unknown male.” When officers arrived, the woman had red marks on her neck, a bloody mouth, and was holding a bag of frozen food to her eye. She initially refused medical care but later went to the hospital, where she told police that Knapp had climbed on top of her, put his hands around her neck, and partially strangled her while she was eating gelato in bed.
She said she was unable to breathe or speak, went “in and out of consciousness,” and believed she was going to die. She told officers she wanted him arrested so she could “feel safe.” Later at the hospital, investigators reviewed her phone and saw that Knapp sent her several disturbing texts, including one saying he had “no idea how I lost control the way I did tonight. I am evil and sick … Thank you for one last good day,” along with threats to take his own life.
The suspect’s story and his bond
When police questioned Knapp, he claimed he was acting in self‑defense, saying he “just wanted her to stop hurting me” and that she had attacked him with a box cutter or razor blade while screaming about child custody. He also said she had given him hydroxyzine after church and claimed she put Xanax in his soda. However, officers found that cuts on his body were not consistent with that version of events and, when pressed, he admitted they were self‑inflicted.
Knapp reportedly told police: “I am a monster. I’ve never been a bad person,” and acknowledged he had mental health issues. He remains in the Outagamie County Jail on a $500,000 cash bond and has made a first court appearance; his next hearing has not yet been scheduled.
