Trenton police say a woman fatally stabbed her neighbor to death with a steak knife.
Shawnette Johnson, 42, of Trenton faces murder and weapon charges. She is accused of stabbing Ernest Denard, 61, back in June on Edgewood Avenue.
Police say an investigation revealed that Denard knocked on his neighbor's door at 10:45 p.m. and asked him to call an ambulance because he had been stabbed. Video surveillance from the apartment complex showed that 12 minutes earlier, Denard knocked on the door of another apartment and was let in by Johnson.
Police say he exited after 10 minutes with visible blood on his shirt. Detectives observed on the video that Denard lifted his shirt and appeared to be looking at his abdomen. Police say Denard walked back towards his apartment where he requested his neighbor call for an ambulance.
Denard was transferred to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he later died.
Police say Johnson was also caught on video tossing a knife out. They say the video shows her leaving her apartment one minute after Denard left. Police say she walked towards the rear exit of the building, she opened the rear door, stepped outside and appeared to throw an object which was similar in size and shape to a knife before she walked back into the apartment building.
Detectives later searched the area where Johnson was seen throwing the object and recovered a steak knife with a black handle. Police say a search of Johnson's apartment revealed additional knives of the same type and manufacturer as the knife recovered. Police say blood was on the floor, on the inside front door doorknob, and on blue slide-on sandals that Johnson was observed wearing when she exited the apartment.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Jennifer Eyster at 609-989-6406. Information can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.