On Friday August 23, 20-year-old Jeanette Moore pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend in December of 2012. Moore allegedly stabbed the victim in the Comstock Township apartment the two shared, killing him.
Moore attended a hearing on Friday in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court in front of Judge Alexander C. Lipsey. She agreed to a plea deal in which upon pleading guilty to manslaughter, one charge of second-degree murder would be dismissed at her September 16 sentencing.
Moore pleaded guilty to stabbing 25-year-old Marcus Mahone on December 18, 2012 at the Comstock Village Apartments where the two lived. She was initially charged with one count of manslaughter, and one count of second-degree murder. The two had apparently been involved a dispute which ended with Mahone being stabbed. The defendant allegedly went to a neighbor’s apartment following the altercation and told the neighbor she had stabbed Mahone.
Latoya Martin, the defendant’s mother, stated that she believed the fatal stabbing was an act of self defense. Martin said that her daughter had told her in prior conversations that Mahone was jealous. She also said that she had talked with neighbors at the apartment complex, who told her that Mahone had been inside the apartment on the morning of the fatal stabbing, fighting with her daughter. Martin contends that her daughter ran to neighbors for help, then headed back to the apartment when she thought Mahone had left. Upon her return, she found Mahone was still in the apartment, and the fight continued.
Moore remains in the Kalamazoo county Jail on a $150,000 cash/surety bond according to a news article at Mlive.com. Court documents indicate prosecutors will recommend Moore be sentenced to three to 15 years for manslaughter.
Michigan manslaughter defense attorneys realize the tragedy of the situation when a young person faces prison time for a violent crime. Was Moore acting in self defense, as her mother said? Regardless, serving time in prison can ruin lives, reputations, and careers.
If you have been arrested or charged with manslaughter, homicide, or first- or second-degree murders, speak with a qualified Michigan criminal defense lawyer right away so that the appropriate steps can be taken to protect you from the serious criminal penalties of a conviction.