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A Columbia man faces attempted first-degree murder charges after he allegedly stabbed a man in the chest and then told a witness he would “be next” if he told anybody what he saw.

The suspect, Thomas Lee Esmond, 50, is charged with attempted first degree murder, a crime that carries a minimum 15-year sentence for a standard range offender. The victim in the case, James Kilgore, was airlifted to Erlanger Medical Center and was admitted to the intensive care unit.

According to the warrant against Esmond, the incident happened in a driveway on L. Sak Road in Coffee County. The warrant alleges there was an altercation and that at some point Esmond armed himself.

“Esmond grabbed a knife from his vehicle and stabbed (the victim) in the chest,” the warrant read, noting the defendant then turned to a man who allegedly witnessed the incident and issued a grave warning. “He then advised the witness who was on the scene to say he wasn’t there or he would be next.”

Investigators say they have placed Esmond at the scene of the crime by use of residential and traffic cameras in the area.