A Howell County man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies say he threatened two women with kitchen knives during a domestic disturbance late Sunday night. According to a probable cause statement, deputies were called to a home on State Route AP around 9:44 p.m. for a report of “a male coming at a female with a knife.”
Deputies found two women outside the residence with fresh cuts on their hands. Inside the home, investigators recovered two kitchen knives—one blue‑handled and one red‑handled—believed to have been used in the incident.
Victim 1 told deputies she was in her bedroom when William Earnest Tolley forced his way in while holding both knives, yelling at her to get out of the house. She said Tolley threw one knife near her feet, then pushed her onto the bed and “held the knife against her throat.” Witness 1 reported she was also cut while trying to disarm him.
Deputies say Tolley appeared intoxicated and gave conflicting statements about what happened. At one point, he told investigators, “life is about consequences, this one’s mine.”
Tolley is charged with Domestic Assault in the First Degree, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Exhibiting). Deputies noted he posed a danger to the victims and the community due to his aggressive behavior while armed with a knife. Bond is set at $75,000.
