Jury convicts prostitute of stabbing man to death
Jurors have convicted an admitted prostitute of first-degree murder, rejecting her claim that she stabbed a client 17 times in self-defense after meeting him for sex.
The jury found Sumeika D. Byrd, 31, of Oklahoma City, guilty in the Aug. 13, 2015, stabbing death of Brendon Turner, 28. Jurors chose life in prison as punishment.
“That man was stabbed 17 times . ... It takes some effort,” an Oklahoma County assistant district attorney, Emily Music, said during closing arguments Thursday. “If that is not deliberate intent to take a life ... then I don’t know what is.”
The case was unusual given the self-defense claim. Prosecutors said the only evidence of selfdefense was from Byrd’s own statements.
Byrd also told varying stories to police, often changing details about what happened. She was connected to the crime scene through DNA evidence.
During the trial, Byrd testified that prostitution was her primary source of income. She told jurors she met Turner and had sex at a house in south Oklahoma City.
Afterward, they had an argument over money and drugs, she said.
She claimed Turner pushed her into a dresser, prompting her to grab her pocket knife off the floor.
“When he came towards me, I swung the knife back and forth,” Byrd testified.
She said she continued to swing the knife at Turner while attempting to flee the house.
Byrd testified she didn’t know if her knife was making contact with Turner. She also testified that she turned to stab him as she was going out the front door.
“I just wanted to get out of the house,” she told the jury. “I was scared.”
Turner suffered fatal stab wounds to his abdomen and heart. He later was found inside the house with his “insides on the outside,” a responding police officer testified.
Byrd claimed Turner was able to chase her outside to the driveway. When he returned to the house, she slashed one of his car tires with the knife, she said.
Byrd said she believed Turner was still alive when she left.
“You can’t leave a body in that state and not know what you’ve done,” Assistant District Attorney Ryan Stephenson told the jury. “She meant to kill him.”
Prosecutors said there was no evidence of a struggle or physical altercation inside the house. They alleged Turner couldn’t have chased Byrd outside due to his severe injuries.
Prosecutors also said Turner wasn’t the aggressor.
Alongside the fatal stab wounds, Turner had numerous cuts and slashes on his arms, body and back, consistent with him trying to protect himself, prosecutors said.
Turner didn’t have any markings or swelling on his hands, likely indicating he wasn’t trying to attack Byrd during the stabbing, according to prosecutors.
After the killing, Byrd left her cellphone, boots and $400 at the house. Byrd’s DNA was found on a cigarette butt inside Turner’s car.