Man is charged in fatal stabbing

By Elisa Glushefski

Published: August 6, 2008

On the morning of July 31, Chantie Brooks went to the Manassas town house she shared with Mikuel Gaskins to pick up her things, according to court documents filed in Prince William County Circuit Court.

A police investigation revealed the couple were engaged but had recently broken up, according to an affidavit.

Gaskins, the documents state, had become depressed and apparently tried repeatedly to get her to reconsider.

Around 12:21 p.m. that Thursday, court documents state, the two were found in the upstairs master bedroom with multiple injuries to the neck, chest and abdomen following what police said appeared to be a murder and suicide attempt.

Brooks, 44, was dead and Gaskins, 53, was unconscious, suffering from apparent knife wounds, police said. He was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he underwent surgery.

On Tuesday, Gaskins was arraigned on the murder charge at the hospital, where he will remain until he is discharged, Manassas City police spokesman Sgt. Tim Neumann said Wednesday.

Once released from the hospital, he will be taken to the Prince William-Manassas regional jail and held there pending a court date that has not yet been set, police said.

Detectives seized more than 40 items from the town house, including knives, several firearms, carpet samples, blood stained swabs and an item listed only as "murder suicide book," court documents show.

Evidence from the scene has been sent to the lab for testing, Neumann said.

Gaskins' relatives and a neighbor were the first to discover the two.

The relatives went to the town house to check on Gaskins after making several attempts to reach him by cell phone, police said.

They saw his car outside and entered the house through an unlocked window after knocking on the door and getting no answer.

Staff writer Elisa Glushefski can be reached at 703-878-8062.