A Chicago mother is fighting a first-degree murder charge after fatally stabbing her boyfriend during what her attorney describes as a violent attack that took place at her own baby shower while she was eight months pregnant.
Keshia Golden has become the center of a growing public outcry, with supporters rallying downtown Chicago on Monday to demand Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke drop all charges against her.
According to Golden’s attorney, Julie Koehler, the incident occurred in October 2022 when Golden’s then-boyfriend, Calvin Sidney, allegedly attacked her during her baby shower. “Hit her, grabbed her hair, slammed her head down on a kitchen counter, and the fight was then dragged into another room. Keshia grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg,” Koehler said.
The knife, according to case documents, struck Sidney’s femoral artery. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries, according to local ABC.
Prosecutors, however, offer a different account of events. They allege the confrontation began over a dispute about microwave use, during which Golden allegedly knocked a plate of food from Sidney’s hands before he pushed her against the counter. Prosecutors claim a family member separated the two, after which Sidney went to a bedroom, and Golden followed, armed with a knife, and fatally stabbed him as he lay on the bed.
Despite the conflicting accounts, Golden’s supporters argue that the history of abuse between the two has been largely overlooked. Court documents reveal that five police reports of domestic violence involving Golden and Sidney had been filed before the fatal incident.
“He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant. So there’s lots of documentation, and I wish there had been more intervention at those earlier stages,” said Sierra Bartlett of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.
Advocates warn the case carries a troubling message. “It’s a scary message to send the women of Cook County, that if you defend yourself in an abusive relationship, you could face first-degree murder charges,” Bartlett added.
“Justice is not ignoring a woman’s cries for help until it’s too late and then condemning her for surviving,” said Dyanna Winchester of the Women’s Justice Institute.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed that Golden had previously rejected a plea deal that would have reduced the charge to second-degree murder with no additional time served, and declined to comment further on pending litigation, according to NBC.
According to a 2020 National Coalition of Domestic Violence report, more than half of Black women who are murdered are killed by current or former romantic partners — a statistic that Golden’s supporters say makes her case all the more urgent.
If charges are not dropped, the trial is expected to begin sometime this summer. Golden is due in court on Tuesday morning.
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