A complaint says the surviving victim arrived after a message from Stephanie Birn’s phone.
KENOSHA, Wis. — Investigators say a text from Stephanie Birn’s phone brought a man to her home, where police allege Dale Dallia attacked him after fatally stabbing Birn.
The detail is one of the unresolved pieces in the homicide case against Dallia, 42, of Kenosha. Police say Birn, 37, was already inside her home with fatal injuries when the 41-year-old man arrived April 25 and found the front door kicked in. Prosecutors have charged Dallia with killing Birn and trying to kill the man. The complaint describes a possible setup but does not publicly answer who sent the text, when Birn was stabbed or whether she was alive when the message was sent.
The surviving man told police he and Birn were in a romantic relationship. He said Birn stayed at his house the night before the attacks. The next day, he received a text from her phone asking him to come to her residence, according to the complaint. When he arrived, he noticed damage to the front door and trim. Before he could go farther, he said, he was attacked on the porch. Police say Dallia hit him in the head with a frying pan three times. The fight then moved into a struggle that lasted five to six minutes.
During that struggle, the man said Dallia gouged his eyes and strangled him. Dallia allegedly told him, “I’m going to kill you,” and accused him of having sex with Birn. A 911 caller saw two men fighting and reported that one person appeared badly hurt and was lying on the ground. Officers were sent to the area near 13th Avenue and 57th Street at about 3:30 p.m. When they arrived, they detained Dallia as he tried to leave. They found the injured man outside and began aid. Only later did officers receive information that there could be another victim inside the home.
Inside, officers found Birn unconscious and dying. The complaint says she had been stabbed 16 times. A bent steak knife was found in the kitchen sink. Police said Dallia had blood on his hands, arms, face and shirt. Officers also described what appeared to be human flesh on his clothing and hands. The crime scene gave investigators two linked attacks to reconstruct: the fatal stabbing inside the home and the assault outside after the surviving man arrived. Public records so far do not say whether police recovered the phone or what forensic testing showed about the text message.
Other statements in the complaint point to what investigators say happened before the text and the fight. A witness told police they dropped Dallia off at Birn’s residence and that he seemed intoxicated. The witness said Dallia pounded on the door with his fist and yelled for it to be opened. The complaint says he also yelled that he was going to kill someone. Police say the door was later found kicked in. If prosecutors argue the surviving man was lured there, the witness account, the broken door and phone records could become central evidence at a future hearing or trial.
The complaint also cites statements Dallia allegedly made online and to people around him. Police say he posted on Facebook hours before the attack, “If you’re one of my true thug friends, who would help me get rid of a body?” The post did not publicly identify a target. A roommate told investigators Dallia had said two weeks earlier that he went through Birn’s phone and believed she had cheated “with many men.” The roommate also said Dallia and Birn had dated and lived together. Those statements could be used by prosecutors to argue motive, though Dallia has not been convicted.
After officers detained Dallia, the complaint says his alleged statements continued. While the injured man was lying in the grass, Dallia allegedly called him a vulgar name and said he was lucky he had not been killed. Dallia also allegedly said he hoped the man died. Police said that when Dallia heard officers talking about Birn dying at the scene, he began laughing in the back of the squad car. He allegedly said, “I don’t care about you,” then used a slur and said, “That’s what you get.” The complaint presents those words as alleged evidence of his state of mind.
The background of the relationship has also become part of the case. Friends told local reporters that Birn had ended things with Dallia after signs of aggression and that she was afraid of him. Giselle Gibson, one of Birn’s closest friends, said Birn had tried many times to get away from him but had difficulty doing so. Karyn Pedraza, another friend, said Birn “loved fiercely” and did not deserve what happened. Local reports said Birn was a mother and left behind an 11-year-old son. Those details are not charges, but they place the complaint inside a larger story of a broken relationship and fear.
Dallia’s recent court history may also shape how prosecutors and a judge view bond and risk. In October 2024, he was charged with strangulation, battery, disorderly conduct and bail jumping after an alleged attack on a coworker. He later pleaded guilty to battery and disorderly conduct. In early 2026, he pleaded guilty to operating while intoxicated and drug possession. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail but served 42 days and was released March 25. The killing happened 31 days later. A court commissioner later set Dallia’s bond at $2 million in the new case.
The case is in its early stages. Dallia faces homicide, attempted homicide and other charges, including a count local reports said involved battery on a law enforcement officer. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. May 12. Prosecutors will need to show probable cause before the case can advance toward later hearings, possible motions and a trial. Key unknowns remain, including who sent the text from Birn’s phone, whether the phone contains deleted messages and how investigators sequence the attack minute by minute.
For now, the public record points to a damaged doorway, a phone message, a kitchen knife and two victims found in different parts of the same scene. Dallia remains jailed on the $2 million bond and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The next milestone is the court’s review of the complaint and supporting evidence.
Author note: Last updated May 26, 2026.