Helena Man Charged in Near-Fatal Stabbing by Anchor Park Tunnel
Prosecutors have charged 46-year-old Randall Skates of Helena with felony attempted deliberate homicide after a late-Thursday stabbing near the 100 block of S. Warren Street by the Anchor Park pedestrian tunnel. The attack left the victim with multiple serious wounds; the case and the high bail set underscore community concerns about downtown pedestrian safety.
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Helena prosecutors filed felony attempted deliberate homicide charges Friday against 46-year-old Randall Skates of Helena following a severe stabbing late Thursday near the Anchor Park pedestrian tunnel in the 100 block of S. Warren Street. Officers responding to the scene found the victim with multiple wounds to the head, chest, stomach and back, and a 5-inch laceration to the neck, according to court documents. Helena police reported the victim is currently stable.
Court records state Skates admitted to the attack and that he intended to kill the victim. A justice court judge set bail at $300,000, and an arraignment is scheduled for Nov. 18. Prosecutors allege the severity and circumstances of the wounds support the attempted deliberate homicide charge, a felony that carries significant penalties under state law.
The location of the incident — adjacent to the pedestrian tunnel linking downtown Helena to Anchor Park — has heightened local concern. The tunnel is a well-used pedestrian artery connecting residential areas, parks and businesses, and the violence there will likely prompt renewed discussion among residents, business owners and city officials about public safety measures in the downtown core.
Helena police officers were first on scene and discovered the injured person, whose condition was later described as stable. The quick arrival of emergency responders and the subsequent filing of charges mean the case will move into the court process in the coming weeks. With the high bail amount and the defendant’s reported admission, prosecutors appear to be treating the case as a priority.
For local residents, the incident raises practical questions about pedestrian safety, lighting and security near public pathways and parks. Downtown merchants and users of Anchor Park will be watching the courthouse timeline and any city response closely, as the arraignment and subsequent hearings may bring further disclosures from police and prosecutors about motive and circumstance.
Beyond the immediate legal proceedings, the case is likely to have a lasting effect on community perceptions of safety in public spaces and on conversations about how to balance accessibility with protective measures. With an arraignment set for Nov. 18 and the defendant held on substantial bail, residents can expect a public court process that will clarify the sequence of events and the evidence prosecutors plan to present.
