Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Aurora, IL: Trial opens in stabbing death of boyfriend

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP — The trial opened Tuesday for an Aurora woman accused of stabbing her live-in boyfriend to death.

Faith Martin, 27, 400 block of North River Street, is facing murder charges in the 2010 death of Willie Arrington. Aurora police said Martin stabbed Arrington in the chest during an argument at about 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2010, police said.

After the stabbing, Martin went next door and called 911, police said. According to a search warrant filed in the case, officers were called to the apartment for a medical problem. When they arrived, Martin had her hand wedged in the door and was screaming hysterically that her children were in the apartment with a man.

Officers tried to open the door, but Arrington’s body was blocking the entrance, the warrant says. According to the warrant, when police asked Martin what happened she said: “I (expletive) stabbed him; we got in a fight!”

Officers forced their way into the apartment and found two children, ages 1 and 5, unharmed. In the neighbor’s apartment, police found the knife they believe was used in the stabbing. Arrington was taken to Provena Mercy Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:25 p.m., police said.

Martin was originally scheduled to face a jury trial. According to the Kane County state’s attorney office, on Tuesday, her attorneys instead elected to face a bench trial in front of Judge Tim Sheldon.

Opening statements began Tuesday afternoon.

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