fort leonard woman indicted for attempted murder
stabbed husband, infant daughter with kitchen knife
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., woman was indicted by a federal grand jury today on murder and assault charges related to an attack in which she stabbed her husband and infant daughter with a kitchen knife.
Chilquitta Wanee Favors, 25, of Fort Leonard Wood, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint against Favors that was filed on Sept. 7, 2010, and adds several additional charges.
Today’s indictment alleges that on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, Favors assaulted her husband with the intent to commit murder by stabbing and slashing him with a six-inch-long kitchen knife. Favors is also charged with one count of assault for stabbing her infant daughter, and with two counts of armed criminal action.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Favors stabbed her husband, Pvt. Charles Favors, in the back of his head, causing a six-inch laceration, as well as in his back and his arm. Favors also stabbed her 10-month-old daughter in the lower right leg, which cut all tendons, nerves and muscle.
Favors had assaulted her husband the day before the attack, the affidavit says, and was ordered to have no contact with him. However, Favors told investigators that she concealed a chef’s knife in her jacket and went to meet her husband, the affidavit says. He was holding her daughter when Favors met him in the front yard. When he refused to take her back, or to let her have her children, she allegedly produced the knife and stabbed him repeatedly.
Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Lawrence and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Mohlhenrich. It was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Leonard Wood.
