LOCKPORT – Jennifer Marchant, charged with manslaughter in the Feb. 6 stabbing death of her live-in boyfriend in North Tonawanda, began her self-defense claim in their apartment while victim Ralph D. Stone Jr. was still bleeding, officers testified in a pretrial hearing Wednesday in Niagara County Court.
Officer Robert J. Frank said Marchant, 24, told him at the scene, “He was coming after me. I didn’t know what else to do. I thought he was going to kill me.”
Officer Timothy R. Sylvester said that about 15 minutes later, Marchant told him, “Ralph was so drunk. I ran into the front bedroom to get away from him and shut the door. Then he came in and threw me around. I ran into the living room. He came after me. I went to the bathroom. He only gets like this when he’s really drunk.”
At Police Headquarters that night, Marchant gave detectives a videotaped half-hour interview and a three-page written statement. Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas said she will watch the video, read the statement, and announce Wednesday whether they will be admissible at Marchant’s trial, which has been postponed at the defense’s request from Oct. 7 to Nov. 18.
Officer Robert J. Frank said Marchant, 24, told him at the scene, “He was coming after me. I didn’t know what else to do. I thought he was going to kill me.”
Officer Timothy R. Sylvester said that about 15 minutes later, Marchant told him, “Ralph was so drunk. I ran into the front bedroom to get away from him and shut the door. Then he came in and threw me around. I ran into the living room. He came after me. I went to the bathroom. He only gets like this when he’s really drunk.”
At Police Headquarters that night, Marchant gave detectives a videotaped half-hour interview and a three-page written statement. Judge Sara Sheldon Farkas said she will watch the video, read the statement, and announce Wednesday whether they will be admissible at Marchant’s trial, which has been postponed at the defense’s request from Oct. 7 to Nov. 18.