Left: Keshia Golden (Chicago Police Department). Right: Chicago mother Keshia Golden at her baby shower hours before she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend to death (WBEZ).
An Illinois mother who stabbed her boyfriend to death while she was pregnant and allegedly getting attacked by him has agreed to a plea deal that lets her avoid a trial and prison time.
"They just let a murderer get away scot-free basically," said Symmieona Goss, who has children with the victim, Calvin Sidney, 29, of Chicago.
"That's what they did," Goss told local ABC affiliate WLS last week after Keshia Golden pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to probation. "Twenty-four months probation and community service for murder."
Prosecutors said Golden and Sidney were arguing over using a microwave before the 2022 stabbing. Golden, who was eight months pregnant, allegedly "knocked a plate of food" out of Sidney's hands and he pushed her onto the counter, according to WLS.
Sidney — who was the father of Golden's child — hit Golden, "grabbed her hair, slammed her head down on a kitchen counter, and the fight was then dragged into another room," Cook County Assistant Public Defender Julie Koehler alleged at a public rally for Golden in April. "Keshia grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg," Koehler said.
The lawyer told reporters last week that "when a man beats a woman, especially a pregnant woman, he forfeits his right to live," WLS reports.
"We stand with her decision because she has never been able to rely on the justice system," Koehler said about Golden's plea deal. "When has the justice system ever supported Keshia?"
According to her legal team, Golden called 911 about 50 times after being beaten and strangled by Sidney in 2021 and 2022. She also obtained an order of protection in 2020.
After her baby shower and Sidney's alleged attack, Golden went into a bedroom with a knife and stabbed him while he was lying on a bed. The knife struck Sidney's femoral artery during the stabbing and he bled to death, per prosecutors. Golden was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Cook County for the slaying.
Prosecutors offered Golden a deal to resolve the case several months ago, which included a plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder with no additional time served. But she reportedly turned it down.
Golden told reporters she chose to accept the plea deal last week to avoid putting her children through a trial, which was just days away.
"I feel like I did the right thing for my child instead of putting this all on the trial and putting it all on social media," Golden said.
"I do not want to hurt my child no more than what she already hurt. All she got is me," she continued. "My child will not have a father, and I'm the only person that's going to take care of her, so I feel like I did the right thing for my child."
Court documents show that there were at least five police reports made of domestic violence involving Golden and Sidney, according to local NBC affiliate WMAQ. Four of the incidents involved allegations of physical violence, including choking, slapping, pushing and punching, WMAQ reports.
"Justice is not ignoring a woman's cries for help until it's too late and then condemning her for surviving," said Dyanna Winchester with the Women's Justice Institute while at the rally for Golden in April.
"He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant," added Sierra Bartlett, another Cook County public defender. "So there's lots of documentation, and I wish there had been more intervention at those earlier stages."
Golden's mother, Tarsha Ellis, told reporters last week that she was grateful her daughter would be able to come home now.
"It's a blessing to have my daughter here to raise her daughter," Ellis said. "You know, and I'm grateful for that. So she took the plea. She's not guilty, but she took it to stay home with her daughter."
Golden apologized to Sidney's family during her plea and sentencing hearing, saying, "Yes, I apologize, but I know that apology is not going to bring him back. But I have to wake up every morning and look at my daughter, and I see Calvin in her. So I do apologize sincerely."
Asked to comment about the plea deal, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office issued a statement saying:
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office recognizes the complexities of domestic violence and the importance of thoughtfully reviewing the full circumstances surrounding each case. At the same time, the CCSAO is charged with and committed to seeking justice for victims and their families. After a careful review of the evidence and applicable law, prosecutors previously offered to resolve this case in March with a plea that the defendant rejected. Today's resolution reflects our commitment to making fair evidence-based decisions that consider the full circumstances of each case and serve the interests of justice.
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