Leavenworth woman pleads guilty to fatally stabbing fiancé who she said beat her
A Leavenworth woman was found guilty Tuesday for fatally stabbing her fiancé after she said he had physically abused her on multiple occasions, according to authorities.
Eva Olisha Banks, 41, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for killing her fiancé, Jerrold Jermaine Rhodes, and two counts of aggravated battery for a domestic violence incident on June 12, 2021, said Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson in a news release.
Banks told authorities that she stabbed Rhodes because he had beaten her in the past, but Thompson said it was an “unreasonable but honest belief” that his actions justified the killing.
Banks was initially charged with second-degree murder.
Battered woman syndrome, a set of psychological symptoms that can develop in women impacted by domestic violence, cannot be used to justify homicide in Kansas, Thompson said. There was no evidence, he said, that showed Banks faced an immediate or deadly threat from Rhodes, but he said the history of domestic violence in the relationship can be considered during charging or to resolve a case ahead of trial.
“This case is a perfect example of why domestic violence should NOT be viewed by our community as a private family matter,” Thompson said. “It is a social, economic and public health concern and reporting incidences of domestic violence is critical to our community’s safety. Without early intervention, the domestic violence cycle continues to escalate in severity, and too often results in severe harm or death.”
Leavenworth police responded just before 1 a.m. to the couple’s residence in the 2500 block of 4th Avenue after Banks called and reported Rhodes had been stabbed, Thompson said. When officers arrived, Banks was holding a towel against a wound on Rhodes’ abdomen in the master bathroom. Emergency medical crews attempted life-saving measures, but Rhodes died at the scene.
Banks first told police that she found Rhodes had been stabbed in their bedroom after they got in an argument at a convenience store and left separately, Thompson said.
But when re-interviewed by detectives, Banks said she stabbed Rhodes with a paring knife because she did not want him to beat her anymore. She also reported a history of domestic violence between the couple.
Banks’ sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14. She could face up to 10 years in prison.
