Brockton Woman Arraigned In Fatal Stabbing Of Boyfriend
BROCKTON (AP) — A Brockton woman charged with fatally stabbing her boyfriend in the home they shared was arraigned Monday.
Prosecutors accused 53-year-old Kirsten Smith of murdering 52-year-0ld Scott Benoit in Brockton District Court on Monday.
Police responded to the couple's home on Friday afternoon where they found Benoit suffering from a single stab wound to the chest. He was found lying near the front door of their Maguire Road house, a trail of blood behind him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
State and local police interviewed Smith until late Friday when she was charged.
The Plymouth district attorney's office says a knife was also found at the scene.
Both sides in court agreed the Smith stabbed Benoit.
"Police asked the defendant 'what was going on here today' and the defendant stated 'I murdered by boyfriend today, now I'm scared about what will happen to me," read Jessica Elumba, assistant DA, to the court.
Smith's defense, though, said she did it out of self-defense because Benoit was strangling her.
They also said that Smith had called police in the past to report his abuse.
At one point in court, she appeared to whisper "I love you" to someone in the room, it is unknown who.
Plymouth County DA Tim Smith stated after the arraignment that even if the stabbing was done in self-defense, Smith still could have saved Benoit's life by calling the police sooner.
He said Smith waited an hour or two before calling 911.
The death was the city's fourth homicide of the year.
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