Keshia Golden’s lawyers say she acted to protect herself and her unborn child.

CHICAGO, Ill. — A Chicago woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend after their baby shower is scheduled for trial Aug. 17, nearly four years after her lawyers say she defended herself and her unborn child during an attack.

Keshia Golden faces two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Calvin Sidney, the father of her daughter. The case has drawn public pressure on Cook County prosecutors because defense lawyers and advocates say records show a long history of domestic violence before the 2022 stabbing. Prosecutors have not dropped the case, and a judge has set the matter for trial after Golden rejected a plea offer to a reduced charge.

The latest turn came April 7 at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, where Cook County Judge Steven Watkins set the August trial date. Golden’s supporters filled the courtroom wearing purple, a color often tied to domestic violence awareness. They had hoped the Cook County state’s attorney’s office would dismiss the case. Instead, prosecutors moved forward. Kyle Keenan, one of Golden’s attorneys, said after court that prosecutors “had another opportunity to do the right thing in this case and refused to dismiss the charges.” A status hearing was set for July 13, giving both sides another date to argue motions and prepare evidence before jury selection.

Golden, 36, has said through her lawyers that Sidney attacked her after a shower held for their first child in October 2022, when she was eight months pregnant. Defense attorney Julie Koehler said Sidney hit Golden, grabbed her by the hair, slammed her head into a kitchen counter and dragged the fight into another room. Koehler said Golden reached for a knife because she feared for her life and the life of her unborn child. “She reached for a knife to protect herself from her abuser, who was trying to kill her and her unborn child,” Koehler said at a rally. The knife struck Sidney in the leg and cut his femoral artery. Sidney was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died.

Prosecutors have described the fatal encounter differently. They have said Golden and Sidney argued in the early morning hours of Oct. 23, 2022, over who could use a microwave to heat food. According to that account, Golden knocked a plate of food from Sidney’s hands, Sidney pushed her onto a counter, and a family member separated them. Prosecutors say Sidney then went into a bedroom and lay on a bed. They say Golden armed herself with a knife, went into the bedroom and stabbed him in the leg. The main factual dispute is not whether Golden caused the fatal wound, but whether the stabbing was self-defense during a continuing attack or an unlawful act after the fight had paused.

The case file includes more than one layer of history between Golden and Sidney. Police had been called to the couple’s home many times before the stabbing, according to reports cited by local news outlets. Five police reports involving domestic violence were filed between June and September 2022, just months before Sidney died. In four of those incidents, Golden accused Sidney of choking, slapping, pushing or punching her. Court records also show Golden took out an order of protection against Sidney in July 2022 after she alleged he punched her in the face. Prosecutors have pointed to at least one prior allegation by Sidney, saying he accused Golden of cutting his neck in a separate incident, though he did not press charges.

Golden’s lawyers say those records help explain why she feared Sidney in the final fight. They also say she had previously miscarried after Sidney physically abused her. Sierra Bartlett of the Cook County Public Defender’s Office said Golden had reported being choked while pregnant and that earlier calls for help should have brought stronger intervention. “He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant,” Bartlett said. Advocates argue that the legal system is treating Golden as a defendant while ignoring evidence that she was a domestic violence survivor. Prosecutors have not publicly addressed every abuse allegation because the case remains pending.

The state offered Golden a plea deal earlier this year that would have reduced the charge to second-degree murder and required two years of probation with no added time in custody. Golden rejected it. Her lawyers said the offer still would have left her with a felony conviction and lasting consequences, including possible limits on work, public benefits and other parts of daily life. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said Golden had rejected the offer and that the office could not comment further because the case was still in litigation. Defense lawyers have said they want the case dismissed, not reduced.

Golden’s time in custody became an early flashpoint. She was first held on a $2 million bond after her arrest. A judge later lowered it to $50,000, saying the change was in the best interest of her unborn child. Golden had to post $5,000 to be released. Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration and the Chicago Community Bond Fund helped raise the money, allowing Golden to leave jail in early November 2022. Later that month, a grand jury indicted her on two first-degree murder counts. Golden gave birth after her release and has been raising her daughter, Ky’liyah, while awaiting trial.

At rallies and courthouse appearances, Golden’s supporters have framed the case as a test of how Cook County handles claims of self-defense by people who report abuse. Dyanna Winchester of the Women’s Justice Institute said justice should not mean “ignoring a woman cries for help until it’s too late and then condemning her for surviving.” Holly Krig of Moms United Against Violence and Incarceration said the case raises questions about whose fear is believed in court. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Golden’s actions after the couple was separated show murder, not self-defense. Jurors will be asked to weigh the physical evidence, witness accounts, prior reports and the law.

The case now stands between a July 13 status hearing and an Aug. 17 trial date in Cook County. Golden remains out of jail while the first-degree murder charges move forward.

Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.