Cedar Rapids woman who fatally stabbed boyfriend convicted of lesser charge

CEDAR RAPIDS — More than four months after court proceedings ended in a mistrial, a Linn County jury has found a Cedar Rapids woman who fatally stabbed her boyfriend — originally charged with murder — guilty of a lesser charge.

Jacqueline Holmes, 38, faces up to five years in jail. After about a day and half of deliberations following more than five days of testimony, she was found guilty last Friday of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter — unintentionally causing the death of her boyfriend, Tremaine Williams, 35, on March 4, 2020.

A retired Illinois law and psychology professor, who consults and testifies in cases involving domestic violence, said during the trial that Holmes was a battered woman and suffers from its effects. She said Holmes told her about three men who physically abused her, including Williams.

Karla Fischer testified Holmes said Williams kicked, punched and choked her. There was a medical report from a previous incident, but no police reports to corroborate it. However, there were police reports to corroborate other incidents of domestic violence from two other men.

The prosecution argued that Holmes delayed getting help for Williams after she stabbed him in the shoulder at a southwest Cedar Rapids house. There also was testimony from an investigator that Holmes repeatedly changed her version of what happened that night during recorded police interviews.

The prosecution also played recorded 911 calls where Holmes hung up on the dispatcher and then wouldn’t answer the phone or provide information of Williams’ condition. The dispatcher testified she received some information in the last call, which was seven minutes after the first call was made.

Williams died from blood loss, an autopsy showed, from the single stab wound to the shoulder.

Numerous knives were found in the house, including a knife with wooden handle, which a medical examiner said was the most likely murder weapon. It was found in an oven.

This was the second time Holmes was tried for Williams’ death. A judge declared a mistrial in the first trial in May when a potential juror told another juror about a previous interaction they’d had with Holmes.

Sixth Judicial District Kevin McKeever released Holmes without bail pending her sentencing, which is set for Dec. 13 in Linn County District Court.

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