Milwaukee woman pleads guilty in fatal stabbing of ex-girlfriend 'to defend herself'
Tawana Eddmonds
MILWAUKEE -- A Milwaukee woman accused of fatally stabbing her ex-girlfriend on June 2 near 26th Street and National Avenue reached a plea deal in the case against her Thursday, Sept. 26.
Tawana Eddmonds, 37, entered the plea to one count of first degree reckless homicide for the stabbing death of Cassandra Steward.
A criminal complaint said Eddmonds walked into the police station and admitted to stabbing Steward in Steward's apartment building.
Prosecutors said Eddmonds indicated she had been at Steward's apartment with a group -- smoking crack cocaine. Eddmonds said she and Steward got into an argument, and Steward armed herself with a knife, and came towards Eddmonds. Eddmonds said she used a different knife to defend herself by stabbing Steward. She said she then "blacked out" and did not remember what happened. She said she eventually woke up in a panic because her clothing and hands were dirty, and Steward was on the floor, not breathing.
Eddmonds told police she washed her hands, changed clothes, and took two TVs that belonged to Steward and sold them for crack cocaine. She smoked the crack and then walked to the area of Milwaukee Police Department’s District 5 station — near Vel R. Phillips Avenue and Locust Street — to turn herself in.
Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 4.