Guyanese Student Charged in Fatal Stabbing at Lincoln University

2026-02-26 - 15:15

A Guyanese student has been charged with second-degree murder following the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend, a fellow student-athlete at Lincoln University in Missouri. According to reporting by ABC 17 News, Denita Jackson, identified as a senior sprinter from Berbice, Guyana, was charged Monday by Cole County prosecutors with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson identified the victim as 23-year-old Kevaughn Goldson, a Jamaican national and senior sprinter on the university’s track and field team. Court documents state that Jackson and Goldson were in a romantic relationship that allegedly included a history of domestic disputes. Authorities said the most recent altercation stemmed from an argument over a missing bottle of cologne. Jackson reportedly told investigators she suspected Goldson of having an affair with one of her roommates. According to police, Jackson left for work late Sunday night but returned home early after feeling unwell. She told officers that Goldson had been in her bedroom when she left but was gone when she returned around 1 a.m. Monday. Investigators said Jackson reported hearing a roommate speaking with someone behind a locked door. She allegedly used a hairclip to unlock the door and told police she found Goldson and the roommate in bed, fully clothed, along with the missing cologne. Authorities said Jackson admitted jumping onto the bed and grabbing the cologne bottle and Goldson’s shirt, which led to a physical confrontation. She told police that Goldson kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall, and then got on top of her and began choking her. Police said Jackson stated she reached under the roommate’s bed, retrieved a knife, and stabbed Goldson in the back and chest. Officers responded after Jackson called 911 to report the stabbing. Goldson was transported to Capital Region Medical Center and later airlifted to University Hospital, where he died during surgery. Jackson was arrested and booked into the Cole County Jail. Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing.