Man charged with Yankton murder pleads not guilty

YANKTON, S.D. (KTIV) - A man accused of stabbing a woman to death in Yankton, South Dakota has entered his plea.

Adrian Lund, 31, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance. Lund is accused of murdering 33-year-old Timber Rose Cournoyer.

Authorities say the fatal stabbing was reported at about 11:15 p.m. on Monday, May 22. Officers were sent to a Yankton apartment where they found Cournoyer with a stab wound to her chest. Cournoyer was sent to a Sioux Falls hospital but died from her injuries Tuesday morning. An autopsy confirmed her death was caused by the stab wound.

According to authorities, Lund and Cournoyer were in a relationship and lived together at a Yankton residence located on 11th Street. After searching that residence, authorities say they found several items with a reddish-brown substance on them. Additionally, authorities say they used surveillance video from several businesses to confirm Lund and Cournoyer were together the night of the stabbing.