Supporters gathered in downtown Chicago on Monday to call for murder charges to be dropped against an Austin woman who says she acted in self-defense while pregnant.
Keshia Golden, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident, is facing murder charges in the death of her boyfriend, Calvin Sidney. Golden’s supporters argue that she was defending herself and her unborn child during a violent confrontation.
Protesters held a rally urging Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke to dismiss the charges against Golden, according to local ABC. “She reached for a knife to protect herself from her abuser, who was trying to kill her and her unborn child,” Golden’s attorney Julie Koehler said.
According to Koehler, the incident occurred in October 2022, when Golden was pregnant with her first child. The altercation allegedly began during Golden’s baby shower when Sidney attacked her.
“Hit her, grabbed her hair, slammed her head down on a kitchen counter, and the fight was then dragged into another room. Keshia grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg,” Koehler said.
Court documents show that the knife struck Sidney’s femoral artery. He was taken to a hospital but later died from his injuries. Golden was subsequently charged with murder.
Advocates and community members say the case highlights the challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence.
“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. However, prosecutors present a different account of the events.
According to authorities, Golden and Sidney were arguing over who could use the microwave. Prosecutors allege Golden “knocked a plate of food” from Sidney’s hands before he pushed her against a counter. A family member reportedly stepped in to separate the two.
Prosecutors claim Sidney then went into a bedroom. They allege Golden followed him while holding a knife and fatally stabbed him while he was lying on the bed, according to NBC.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement, “The defendant previously rejected the state’s offer to resolve this case, which included a plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, with no additional time served. As this case remains pending litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time.”
Public defenders and advocacy groups say the case sends a troubling signal to survivors of domestic violence. “It’s a scary message to send the women of Cook County, that if you defend yourself in an abusive relationship, that you could face first-degree murder charges,” said Sierra Bartlett with the Cook County Public Defender’s Office.
Records show police had previously responded to multiple domestic violence incidents involving Golden and Sidney. Documents indicate that five police reports had been filed before the fatal confrontation.
“He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant. So there’s lots of documentation, and I wish there had been more intervention at those earlier stages,” Bartlett said. If the charges are not dismissed, Golden’s attorney expects the case to move to trial sometime this summer. Golden is scheduled to appear in court at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
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