PLEASANTON — A woman reported that her boyfriend had been killed by home invasion robbers who briefly held her against her will as they butchered the 32-year-old man in the couple’s living room, but over the past year, police say her story has completely unraveled.
On Thursday, homicide investigators with the Pleasanton Police Department arrested the girlfriend, 27-year-old Kennedy Stith, on charges of murdering her boyfriend with a knife last year. Stith has not yet been charged, but has a placeholder court date set for Monday. Police are expected to soon bring the case to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office to ask for charges, records show.
The victim, 32-year-old Edevion White, was stabbed to death inside the living room of his Owens Drive apartment on May 1, 2023. After his death, friends and family came forward to investigators with tips that White had recorded videos of Stith acting aggressively and threatening him. These confidants of White also told authorities that he’d had a premonition: that if he died under mysterious circumstances, they should look at Stith first, authorities said.
Stith was the person who called 911 the day of the homicide, but her evolving story created immediate red flags for police. While on the phone with dispatchers, she allegedly stated that there was an ongoing “domestic dispute” at the home. By the time police arrived at the bloody scene, she had a different version of events, police say.
She allegedly told investigators that two robbers had burst into the home, one with a gun. She said one of the men held her at gunpoint in the kitchen while the other fought Stith in another part of the household, and stabbed him once in the chest. The robbers then fled the apartment, she reportedly claimed.
Police say there were noticeable inconsistencies between her account and the crime scene. For one thing, White’s body fell adjacent to the front door of the home, making it difficult for police to enter, and for any robbers to make their way out. White’s blood was found all around the apartment, despite the story that the fight occurred in the living room.
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Investigators’ suspicions were further raised when Stith and her mother — who was at the couple’s home that day — both failed to show up for a scheduled police interview. Police say Stith also never followed up to check on the investigation after making her initial statement the day of the homicide.
White’s friends and family who came forward said the couple frequently argued about money, specifically proceeds from selling psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana. In one of the arguments, Stith allegedly brandished a knife and threatened to kill White, police say.
Police put out a public call for tips on the homicide last month, claiming they were following new leads.
Stith was arrested Thursday, in Oakland, and remains jailed on a no-bail hold. Police announced her arrest in a news release Friday morning.
“The city of Pleasanton extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Edevion White, and we are working closely with them during this challenging period,” the news release says.