Courtney Clenney pleads guilty to manslaughter in boyfriend Christian Obumseli’s death
Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence which some readers may find distressing.
Courtney Clenney, who was accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death in 2022, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Clenney, 30, had been facing a second-degree murder charge for the death of her boyfriend, Christian Obumseli, and a plea deal has now been reached, it has been confirmed.
She was sentenced to six years in prison, with credit for time served, followed by five years of probation, and must undergo a mental health evaluation and treatment, as per NBC 6 South Florida.
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If she had been found guilty of the second-degree murder charge, she would have been facing up to 30 years in prison.
Obumseli had been fatally stabbed at the couple's home in Edgewater, Miami, Florida.
Clenney has remained in jail without bond since being charged in 2022, and therefore will serve around two years in prison due to 'credit for time served'. She is set to be moved to a state prison facility in Florida.
Her attorney's are expected to speak in a news conference after the hearing.
“Counsel can confirm that a plea agreement has been reached in State of Florida v. Courtney Clenney, the second-degree murder case pending in Miami-Dade County,” the Prieto Law Firm said in an earlier statement.
“The terms of the agreement are not final until accepted by the Court.”
Clenney has claimed she acted in self-defense, alleging she threw a knife at her partner after an attack, claiming it struck him in the chest.
The couple, who had been together since 2020, were said to have had a string of domestic violence incidents, with a video showing an incident in an elevator just two months before the 27-year-old's death.
The video showed Clenny 'swinging' at her then partner, who threw his hands up in defence.
In a 911 call, on the fateful she could be heard apologizing to her partner after the stabbing.
"My boyfriend is dying of a stab wound!" she said. "Please God, please. Come save my boyfriend!"
Courtney Clenney, was taken into police custody on Wednesday, 10 August, 2022 in Hawaii for the offence of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
In a statement at the time, police said: "Members of the Hawai‘i Police Department assisted and stood by while Clenney was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service.
"She was arrested on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by Miami-Dade County, Florida, for the offense of murder in the second-degree with a deadly weapon.
"Clenney is being held at the Hawai’i Police Department‘s East Hawai’i Detention Center pending her initial court appearance in Hilo District Court, tentatively scheduled for Thursday, August 11, 2022.
"She will eventually be extradited to Florida."
Clenney, who is known as as Courtney Tailor on Instagram where she has two million followers, was denied bail in December 2022.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
Topics: True crime
Kiesha Dosanjh