NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — A Newport man convicted in connection with a fatal stabbing at a house party will spend the next 30 years behind bars, according to RI Attorney General Peter Neronha.

Tyrese Poulsen, 22, pleaded no contest Friday to involuntary manslaughter For stabbing Maximus Julian to death three years ago.

Neronha said Poulsen and Julian were involved in a fight at a house party at an Airbnb off Thames Street in May 2021.

While trying to help the homeowners get everyone out of the house, Poulsen grabbed a steak knife from the kitchen and stabbed Julian in the neck and torso, according to prosecutors.

The 22-year-old Little Compton man was taken to Rhode Island Hospital. He eventually succumbed to his wounds. Poulsen and the other suspect, 23-year-old Jamaal Reid, they surrendered days later.

“While justice was served here to the extent possible, the victim and his family received the worst punishment,” Neronha said. “(Poulsen) chose to kill Maximus Julian over a minor fist fight and stole this young man’s entire life for no apparent reason.”

Neronha added that Poulsen received the harshest sentence for manslaughter.

“I hope this outcome shows those with violent tendencies that this kind of blatant disrespect for human life will get you decades in prison,” he said.

Reid, charged with criminal and disorderly conduct, is scheduled to appear in court next month.

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