Counsel presented closing arguments before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jeannie J. Hong on March 4 in the case against 38-year-old Sherrice Parker in connection to the fatal stabbing of her long-term partner, focusing primarily on the reliability of Parker’s testimony.
Parker is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a deadly weapon with the intent to injure for her alleged role in the fatal stabbing of Donte Chase, 46, which occurred on the 700 block of N. Kenwood Avenue on June 30, 2025. Chase was pronounced dead upon his arrival at an area hospital after being stabbed once in the heart during a suspected domestic violence altercation between him and Parker.
During closing arguments, the prosecution pointed to several inconsistencies between Parker’s statements to police, her testimony in court and the physical evidence collected from the home. The prosecutor said Parker first told investigators that she stabbed Chase in an upstairs bedroom. However, during her testimony, Parker told jurors that the incident happened in the kitchen, while evidence from the scene indicates the stabbing occurred in a different area of the home.
The prosecutor also highlighted Parker’s testimony that she pushed a television to the floor during the altercation, breaking it. Photographs taken of the scene, however, show the television still mounted on the wall. Additionally, Parker testified that she made two phone calls after leaving the residence, but records recovered from her cellphone show multiple calls were made during the period following the incident.
Prosecutors argued that these differences show Parker was not truthful in her statements to police or in her testimony because, they said, “the truth [wouldn’t] help her.”
Defense attorney Roya Hanna told jurors the inconsistencies were the result of trauma Parker experienced during what she described as a violent relationship with Chase. Hanna argued that it can be difficult to remember specific details during such a violent encounter. Hanna said that during Parker’s police interview, Parker told investigators she could not remember certain details, to which investigators asked her to close her eyes and try to recall the events of the evening.
The defense also told jurors that Parker later remembered additional details during therapy she received after the interview, which Hanna said explains the differences between Parker’s earlier statements and her testimony in court.
The defense also referenced testimony from a medical expert who said the stab wound undoubtedly bled, but that bleeding may have been delayed. As a result, Hanna stated the location of the blood found by investigators may not necessarily indicate where the stabbing occurred. She added that the lack of blood spatter at the scene makes it difficult to determine the exact location of the stabbing.
Jurors broke for deliberation on the afternoon of March 4, and are expected to reach a verdict March 5.
