Woman charged with murdering her boyfriend, held without bond
Donna Turner is arrested by Ypsilanti police officers Tuesday night outside of her apartment building in the 400 block of South Huron Street.
Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com
The two of them had been arguing in the living room of their apartment on South Huron Street, and Turner had just walked away into the kitchen, prosecutors said. Walton, 45, got his coat and walked past Turner just before she suddenly stabbed him once in the abdomen with a large kitchen knife, severing his femoral artery, police said.
Walton staggered back into the living room and fell onto the couch. He died a short time later after an ambulance took him to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
Turner, 46, has been charged with one count of open murder and is being held without bond.
Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Dianna Collins told Magistrate Thomas Truesdell that Turner killed Walton after the argument, which police said might have been about Turner's ex-boyfriend. Collins called it an “unprovoked stabbing.”
“The people are asking to deny bond,” Collins said.
Emergency personnel responded at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday to the 400 block of South Huron Street after the stabbing was reported. Turner was arrested at the scene of the incident and has been held at the county jail since that night.
Donna Turner
Courtesy of the WCSO
Detective Sgt. Thomas Eberts said Thursday Walton was leaving the apartment. He was supposed to go to a friend's house, where he planned to watch a movie and have some drinks. Eberts said there does not appear to be evidence of a physical altercation prior to the stabbing.
"She hasn’t given any indication he was assaulting her in any way,” he said.
Turner didn’t say much at Thursday’s arraignment. She said she has no children, rented the apartment, has no job and is single. The Washtenaw County Public Defender’s Office was appointed to represent her.
She’s scheduled to be in court for a preliminary exam at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 18 at the 14A-1 District Court in Pittsfield Township.
Eberts said Turner confessed to the alleged murder in an interview Wednesday night.
It wasn’t the first time police had responded to a domestic disturbance involving Turner and a significant other.
Eberts said Turner and an ex-boyfriend were involved in a violent domestic dispute at the apartment in February. In that incident, a 54-year-old man is accused of attacking Turner, choking her and throwing her around the apartment, police said at the time.
At one point during the incident, Turner was able to grab a large kitchen knife and is accused of stabbing the man in the abdomen. The man was taken to the hospital and treated for his injuries, which were not life threatening. Police said Turner suffered a bloody lip but refused medical treatment.
Police arrested the man involved in that incident, who was not Walton. It’s unclear if any charges were eventually brought against him.
Walton and Turner had been dating for a short period of time but lived together, Eberts said. He said there doesn't appear to be a history of domestic violence between the two before Tuesday.
If convicted on the charge of open murder, Turner faces spending the rest of her life in prison.
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
John nose
Mon, Dec 17, 2012 : 9 p.m.
I hate the news it says she didn't have any kids but two ladies says there her children how hard is it to report true stories!!!!!!
James
Wed, Dec 12, 2012 : 3:38 a.m.
So sad Keith was a good friend of mine. We spent some great times together! He was a very smart ad lovig person.... He will be missed by all those that knew him.
Pebbles
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 10:49 p.m.
I am her youngest child (yes she has children) but my sister pretty much summed it up. Prayers going out to the Walton family!
Barbara Niess May
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.
This is Barbara Niess-May, the Executive Director of SafeHouse Center. We serve all survivors, male and female. Please call us whenever needed at 734-995-5444 or online at www.safehousecenter.org.
BhavanaJagat
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 5:41 p.m.
Violence and Human Relationships: We have been reading several news stories about violence involving people who are living together in relationships. A routine conversation may provoke an angry retaliation. Such incidents make us to explore the fundamental basis for human relationships. The problem appears to be that of living in a relationship with oneself. My relationship with myself would be the primary relationship and all other relationships are secondary or tertiary relationships. If I discover within myself the vital, animating principle called soul and spirit, I will be able to use it as a guiding mechanism to formulate a spiritual relationship with myself. Such relationship is the basis for finding peace, harmony, and tranquility in the living condition. If inner peace is established, anger, and violence do not find expression in human actions and behavior.
anti-thug
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 7:27 a.m.
another murder in this year in ypsi make double the murder national average .
RJA
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 5:08 a.m.
If convicted she needs to spend the rest of her life in prison. No sympathy for her here.
anti-thug
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 7:29 a.m.
thank you...the law will determine that . you don't know the cause.
Shandar
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 12:26 a.m.
im her oldest daughter & my family's hearts go out to the Walton family!
music to my ear
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 1:22 p.m.
maybe she meant at home like they are all grown.
Messa
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 2:06 a.m.
I thought it said in the story that Ms. Turner said she had no children?
grovestresident
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 12:44 a.m.
I'm sorry for your family, also! This is a sad case for both families. I don't want to sound mean or anything like that but be thankful that the only women's prison is right in Ypsi off of Carpetner and Bemis.
Ponycar
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.
There should be a kitchen knife ban! This man wouldn't be dead if we were able to get kitchen knives OFF the street! Or are we going with "Knives don't kill people, people kill people"?
Rizzle
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 12:07 p.m.
I wager, hypothetically, allegedly, that the accused was not a registered sharp device owner.
cornelius McDougenschniefferburgenstein jr. 3 esq.
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.
thier on thier way to your home to register your EDGED WEAPONS!!!
USRepublic
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.
I wonder if the Safe House people will get their act together and offer a support group for male domestic violence victims. They only offer support groups for females....
Barbara Niess May
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 8:55 p.m.
This is Barbara Niess-May, the Executive Director of SafeHouse Center. We serve all survivors, male and female. Please call us whenever needed at 734-995-5444 or online at www.safehousecenter.org.
Ron
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 3:37 a.m.
I have to agree with you on that. They even have a 2 year waiting list for housing the victims. I went through it once myself and after talking to the so called case worker that came to the hospital, I just told them they could keep their stuff, I'd be better off being homeless than to wait for them to help get anything done.
music to my ear
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 9:45 p.m.
girl aint no man worth your life in prison (if convicted ) that is where you gonna live he was almost out the door should have let him walk. sorry to the deceased man family so sad for them.
Mary Ann Barbary
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
Is this the son of Mrs. Wilma (Jean) Walton?
HB11
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:56 p.m.
So she allegedly likes knives.
djacks24
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 9:17 p.m.
Or she just likes stabbing boyfriends and prefers kitchen knives for the task.
Roadman
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:54 p.m.
The mandatory sentence for a conviction of first-degree murder in Michigan is life imprisonment without parole. Second-degree murder carries a penalty of any number of years up to life imprisonment. This could be a case of manslaughter - a "reasonable" killing in the heat of passion before the tempers had a chance to cool. That carries a sentence of up to 10-15 years imprisonment. The preliminary examination will be a key to determining what the proper bindover charge will be for circuit court trial.
Dan r OBryan
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 2:30 a.m.
manslaughter carries a penalty of 0-15 years .and the preliminary examination will still carrier the open murder charge ,a jury will decide the guilty decision at the end of the trail ,murder 1st or 2nd ,manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter that has the same sentencing guide lines as manslaughter. Michigan has truth in sentence that means what ever sentence if found guilty ,the convicted will serve at least the minimum time given .which means no time off for good behavior .
cinnabar7071
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:49 p.m.
Her next boyfriend better duct tape magazines around his abdomen.
anti-thug
Fri, Dec 7, 2012 : 7:18 p.m.
here next boyfrends a drag in prison
cinnabar7071
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.
djack yes they do, who do you think cooks the meals?
music to my ear
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.
you mean her girl in the big house.
djacks24
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 9:16 p.m.
He won't have to worry as they don't allow the inmates access to kitchen knives, especially during visitation.
Ross
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:20 p.m.
IT WAS HER! Kyle, you nearly threw me off yesterday. It was totally her back in February, stabbing her boyfriend at the time with a kitchen knife. Really too bad the new guy didn't take that event more seriously and stay away from this woman. Tragic event. She was clearly deeply troubled.
Ross
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:53 p.m.
Oh, no worries. Just sayin'.
Kyle Feldscher
Thu, Dec 6, 2012 : 8:38 p.m.
Ross- I didn't have that confirmation until earlier in the day today. Sorry for the unintended misdirection yesterday.