FARMINGTON, MN — A Minnesota man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to stabbing his wife 10 times and dragging her through their home because he suspected her of having an affair.
Mehdi Badaoui, 53, received his sentence Wednesday after pleading guilty in March to attempted first-degree murder, the Dakota County Attorney’s Office announced. The brutal attack occurred April 15, 2025, at the couple’s Farmington home after Badaoui tracked his wife using a GPS device he had secretly placed in her car. Family members witnessed the attack and begged him to stop as he dragged the bleeding victim from the kitchen to a bedroom, according to court documents.
The assault began around 8:30 a.m. when Farmington Police received a domestic violence call with dispatchers hearing a woman screaming that she had been stabbed and could not move. Officers arrived to find Badaoui with blood on his hands and his wife lying on her side in a pool of blood. The victim suffered 10 stab wounds to her neck, armpit, and side of her body, requiring immediate emergency surgery. She told police her husband had previously beaten her and threatened to stab her on multiple occasions.
Court records reveal Badaoui had placed a GPS tracking device in his wife’s vehicle and became suspicious when he saw her traveling somewhere other than work that morning. He drove to confront her at the location, then followed her home where their argument escalated into violence. Badaoui told investigators his wife began calling him names after scratching his face, prompting him to grab a kitchen knife and begin “hitting” her with it. Police recovered a bloody pocketknife from the kitchen counter.
Family members who witnessed the attack told police they woke up to yelling and saw Badaoui stabbing his wife before dragging her through the house as she screamed for her life. When witnesses pleaded with him to stop, Badaoui stated he was going to kill the victim and go to jail, according to the arrest affidavit. The victim was able to call 911 after Badaoui stopped the attack, and paramedics rushed her to the hospital where she underwent surgery. Badaoui initially claimed he only stabbed his wife three or four times, though medical evidence documented 10 separate wounds.
The case highlights the dangerous escalation of domestic violence when perpetrators use surveillance technology to control and track their victims. Badaoui had been held at Dakota County Jail since his arrest and will serve his 20-year sentence in state prison. Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena emphasized the severity of the crime in her sentencing statement. “This was a brutal act of domestic violence that could have resulted in a loss of life,” Keena said. “Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to victims and holding offenders accountable.”
The victim survived her injuries but required extensive medical treatment following the attack. Badaoui’s guilty plea to attempted first-degree murder avoided a trial that would have forced the victim to relive the traumatic assault. The 20-year sentence represents one of the longer prison terms handed down in Dakota County for domestic violence cases that did not result in death. Badaoui will be eligible for parole consideration after serving two-thirds of his sentence under Minnesota state guidelines.
