A dying father pleaded with a neighbour to “tell my kids that I love them” after being fatally stabbed in the chest by his lover.
Jessie Renae Owenby, 47, is accused of killing her lover, Charles Barber, at Forest Park Gardens Apartments, in the city of Statesville, in the US state of North Carolina, on 28th March.
Neighbours told local media that the suspect and victim, who lived in the same building, were romantically involved.
According to reports, the victim, after suffering stab wounds to the chest, staggered to a neighbour’s flat, where he collapsed – and left his final, heartbreaking message.
Just minutes before he died, Barber begged: “Tell my kids that I love them.”
Several neighbours at the complex confirmed that the victim had been stabbed in the chest and that they rendered first aid while waiting for the emergency services to arrive on the scene.
The suspect reportedly followed Barber to the flat during his final moments.
It is unclear how many children Barber left behind or the motive and circumstances leading up to his fatal stabbing.
The suspect was placed under arrest and appeared before a judge on a first-degree murder charge on 29th March.
According to jail records, Owenby is currently being held at Iredell County Detention Facility without bond as the investigation continues.
