Chicago Mother Faces Murder Trial After Killing Abusive Partner While Pregnant
Keshia Golden, a Black mother from Chicago’s West Side, is set to stand trial for first-degree murder after stabbing her boyfriend Calvin Sidney, who died from a femoral-artery wound.
In October 2022, eight-month-pregnant Golden said Calvin Sidney assaulted her in their kitchen, prompting her to seize a knife and stab his leg, severing his femoral artery. Sidney died in hospital and Golden was charged with first-degree murder. A plea offer for a lesser felony would have barred her from public housing, child-care subsidies, health-care jobs and student loans, prompting her to reject it.
The defense highlights dozens of prior police calls, multiple arrests of Sidney, a protective order, and a documented strangulation incident at 18 weeks pregnant, rating her danger level as extreme. Prosecutors argue the move to another room suggests premeditation, a point contested by experts who note that self-defense claims often fail for women using weapons against larger partners. Advocates, including Moms United Against Violence, are rallying for the charges to be dropped, emphasizing the risk to Golden’s life and that of her three-year-old daughter.
Why it matters
The case shows how survivors of domestic abuse can be prosecuted despite extensive evidence of ongoing violence.
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