2015 stabbing death of man in Kansas City, North, leads to conviction of woman

Clay County jurors on Wednesday convicted a 34-year-old woman in the 2015 stabbing death of a man in Kansas City, North.

Tia D. Townsel was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 32-year-old Jermaine J. Collins.

Jurors deliberated for 2 1/2 hours before reaching their verdict.

Prosecutors alleged that Collins was stabbed during a fight with Townsel at an apartment at 115 N.W. Harlem Road.

A witness told investigators that the two punched and kicked each other after Collins kicked in the door of Townsel’s apartment to retrieve a pair of shoes. The fight spilled outside, where Collins hit Townsel in the head with a bottle of vodka, according to the witness.

Townsel then got a knife and as they struggled over the weapon, Collins was stabbed. Other witnesses also told police that Townsel stabbed Collins.

She suffered a cut on the hand but denied stabbing Collins, who she said had come over to her apartment to get his hair done. She told detectives that she was cut while trying to help Collins get away from a group of women who attacked him after he left her apartment, prosecutors said.

Townsel is to be sentenced on May 4.

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 5:01 PM with the headline "2015 stabbing death of man in Kansas City, North, leads to conviction of woman."