A woman was jailed Monday after admitting to fatally stabbing her uncle late last month in Fort Worth, according to an arrest-warrant affidavit obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Ashley Siebenaller, 32, was booked into the Tarrant County jail on a murder charge in the death of Tony Graham, 54. Her bail has not yet been set, and it was not immediately clear whether she has an attorney.
Officers were dispatched about 12:20 p.m. Dec. 26 to a home in the 3400 block of Wade Avenue, where they found Graham with a single stab wound to the chest, according to the affidavit.
The document identified Siebenaller as Graham’s niece, and said the two slept in the living room of the home, which had been rented out by multiple people.
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Police wrote in the affidavit that they initially believed Siebenaller was “non-verbal.” She wrote a note to investigators at the scene that she did not know what happened to Graham and denied stabbing him. The document also noted the person who reported the incident called a sign-language line.
But a witness’ account contradicted Siebenaller’s statement. The witness told police she heard the pair arguing moments before finding Graham wounded, lying on the living room floor, according to the affidavit. Siebenaller was sitting on the couch, where a bloody knife was later discovered, “not saying anything,” the document stated.
On Dec. 30, detectives went back to the home to try questioning Siebenaller again, and found she was able to communicate more clearly. The affidavit stated she admitted to stabbing Graham, but said he stabbed her first in the mouth.
Investigators wrote in the affidavit that Siebenaller did not have any noticeable injuries.
Siebenaller then said she was upset with Graham for locking her out of the house after a visit to a doctor’s office.
“Ashely also mentioned Tony ‘pissed her off’ and told her she needed to start cooking,” an officer wrote in the affidavit.
On Jan. 2, police received another call from a resident inside the home, who stated Siebenaller was standing outside his bedroom door holding a knife, and that he was “concerned for everyone’s safety.”
The warrant for Siebenaller’s arrest was signed the following day.
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