Baltimore Sun

‘Wheelie Queen’ found guilty of manslaught­er in ’21 death

- By Alex Mann

A Baltimore jury found Lakeyria Doughty, also known as the “Wheelie Queen,” guilty of manslaught­er in the stabbing death of her girlfriend three years ago.

The jury acquitted Doughty of murder, determinin­g that her actions in Tiffany Wilson’s death were partially justified by self-defense. The jury rendered its verdict Wednesday after hours of deliberati­on spread across two days.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Althea M. Handy sentenced Doughty the same day to 10 years in prison — the maximum penalty for manslaught­er.

Doughty, 29, spoke in court, expressing her condolence­s to Wilson’s family, her defense attorney, Andrea Jaskulsky, told The Baltimore Sun.

“She still maintains her innocence. But she’s glad that there’s at least a resolution for everybody,” said Jaskulsky, adding that Doughty intends to appeal her conviction and sentence.

This trial marked the second time Doughty was tried on murder charges in Wilson’s death. A city judge declared a mistrial in June 2022 when the jury could not reach a consensus verdict.

Prosecutor­s contended Wilson’s killing around 4 a.m. Jan. 1, 2021, amounted to premeditat­ed murder.

Jaskulsky presented an alternativ­e theory at the first trial: Wilson accidental­ly stabbed herself during a violent dispute about the couple’s relationsh­ip.

Doughty earned her nickname as a pioneer in Baltimore’s male-dominated 12 O’Clock Boys dirt bike crew, which led to her being featured in the HBO movie “Charm City Kings.”

The couple’s text messages in the hours and days leading up to the deadly encounter inside their apartment revealed a tenuous relationsh­ip and dramatic New Year’s Eve.

During the first trial, Doughty took the witness stand in her own defense, describing in detail the violent encounter from the perspectiv­e of the only person who survived it.

She testified that Wilson grabbed her from behind and slashed her left leg with a kitchen knife. Near the sink, Doughty said she ripped herself from Wilson’s grasp, sending Doughty onto her back on the ground and Wilson stumbling into the counter, knife in hand. When Wilson rolled on the counter, blood squirted from her side, Doughty said.

Doughty called 911 and lied to police about what happened, saying she came into the apartment and found Wilson bleeding on the ground.

Wilson died from a stab wound of more than 4 inches on the left side of her chest, a medical examiner determined. The knife blade slid in between her ribs, puncturing her left lung and damaging her heart.

A Baltimore Police DNA analyst could identify only Wilson’s DNA on the handle of the knife recovered. But, the analyst testified at the first trial, there was another strand of DNA present that was too small to test.

Blood cells, the analyst said, are more rich with DNA than skin cells, and that blood could’ve masked another person’s DNA on the handle.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States