IONIA COUNTY, Mich. — The man who was fatally stabbed during an argument about home heating costs has been identified.
Around 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, a 911 caller said he stabbed a relative inside a home in the 200 block of Phillip Court out of self-defense.
The Ionia County Sheriff's Office says their investigation thus far has led them to believe that an argument between 32-year-old James Conley and a relative began over the cost of heating the home.
The argument escalated into threats and name-calling, and at that point, police said Conley attacked his family member.
That relative armed himself with a kitchen knife, and told detectives he was trying to stop the attack when he stabbed Conley in the chest, killing him.
Conley succumbed to his injuries on the scene despite life-saving interventions by first responders.
Authorities have not identified the stabbing suspect in the case as he's not been charged with a crime.
He has been fully cooperative with officers, police said.
At this point, drug use and underlying mental health issues are factors in the investigation, and detectives are still working to hammer out the exact sequence of events before presenting the facts to the Ionia County Prosecutor's Office.
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