A Hot Springs man who stabbed his live-in girlfriend multiple times in 2016 was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty in Garland County Circuit Court.
Thomas Earl Boyd, 48, who has remained in custody on zero bond since his arrest June 25, 2016, appeared before Judge Marcia Hearnsberger and pleaded guilty to a felony count of first-degree domestic battery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. A court order permanently barring him from contact with the victim, 55, was also issued.
Boyd had pleaded not guilty to the charge on Sept. 6, 2016, and then his court-appointed attorney, Mark Fraiser had filed a motion for a mental evaluation arguing Boyd was not fit to proceed with trial which postponed further proceedings.
He was examined on Dec. 14, 2016, by Dr. Paul Deyoub, a forensic psychologist at the state hospital, who diagnosed him with bi-polar disorder and borderline intellectual functioning, but found he did not suffer from a mental defect and was fit to proceed.
According to the probable cause affidavit and the official account from Boyd's forensic evaluation, on June 25, 2016, around 11:45 a.m., Garland County sheriff's deputies, first responders and LifeNet were sent to a residence at 1340 Cedar Creek Road to a domestic disturbance in progress.
They made contact with Boyd's daughter, 23, who told them Boyd had stabbed his live-in girlfriend. Deputies found the victim at a cabin down the driveway from the couple's mobile home which she had fled to after the attack.
Deputies noted the victim had sustained several lacerations to her left arm, left abdomen and the left side of her head and had lost a substantial amount of blood. Paramedics elected to have her airlifted to an area hospital for treatment. The affidavit notes one first responder estimated she had 14 visible lacerations.
Deputies learned Boyd was waiting inside his home where the attack had occurred and took him into custody without incident. They noted Boyd was covered in blood and had cuts on his right hand at the first knuckle. When they asked him how he hurt himself, he told them he cut himself while stabbing the victim.
On July 5, 2016, the victim was interviewed and stated she had been in bed that day just before noon and Boyd was "peeking around the corner at her." She said she got up and went to get a drink from the refrigerator when Boyd suddenly came at her with a knife and started cutting her while shouting, "Die! Die! Die!"
She asked him why and he told her, "It's you or (his daughter)!" The daughter had reportedly been living with them for about 18 months at that point. When asked if she and Boyd had been fighting, the victim said no but they had problems with finances and had been talking about it earlier.
She noted they were both on disability, "money was tight," and they needed to move out of that home.
Boyd was questioned by investigators the day of the incident and told them he had mental health issues. He said he had been hearing voices and had "black-outs" a lot. He said at times he would "wake up with something hurting."
After the attack, he said he woke up on the front porch thinking he broke his hand and then saw the knife. He noticed his daughter and girlfriend were both gone. He claimed he did not remember what had happened, but he noticed there was blood everywhere.
When asked if he and his girlfriend fought a lot, he said no. He said he was out of his medication and thought his daughter had been stealing it and selling it. He said the medication was not working and he felt suicidal and "wanted to hurt other people." He noted he and his girlfriend had been together for six years.
Local on 01/11/2018