Fla. man found guilty of fatally stabbing teacher girlfriend in drunken, jealous rage
11/15/2022 4:13 pm PST
TAMPA, Fla. (TCD) -- A 47-year-old man was recently found guilty of fatally stabbing his girlfriend earlier this year.
On May 28, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 6200 block of Kiteridge Drive, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. At the scene, authorities reportedly found a deceased woman suffering from severe upper body trauma.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the victim, later identified as 43-year-old Kay Baker, got into an argument with her boyfriend, Matthew Terry, at the Landing Bar & Grill. Terry fatally stabbed Baker to death outside her home, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
During the trial, the state reportedly argued that Terry was a controlling boyfriend who stabbed his girlfriend in a jealous rage while drunk.
Baker was stabbed as she tried to flee from her boyfriend, the State Attorney’s Office said in a news release. Neighbors allegedly heard a loud noise and the sounds of a woman gasping and crying. When the neighbors went outside, they discovered Baker in the grass, suffering from a neck wound, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
At the scene, a window screen was pushed out, and there were bloodstains leading through the backyard and into an area near Lithia Pinecrest Road, where deputies found Terry in the brush.
Prior to the fatal stabbing, Terry was reportedly convicted of assault with intent to cause great bodily harm to a previous girlfriend in Michigan. He moved to Florida after being released from prison and stabbed Baker five months later.
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Terry was found guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Baker, who was a third-grade math and science teacher at Cypress Creek Elementary School, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
During testimony, people who were with the couple on the night of the stabbing reportedly said Terry became upset after he saw a man dance with Baker. Baker reportedly told Terry she did not dance with the man.
The jury deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdict. The State Attorney’s Office announced that the state of Florida will seek the death penalty against Terry.
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