A North Carolina man has admitted to shooting and killing his girlfriend in 2023 — and wounding her roommate — after she did not want to be in an “exclusive relationship” with him, authorities said.
On Jan. 21, Stephon Dubose, 32, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Angela Risi, 30, a San Diego native who was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Dance at Duke University, and to the attempted murder of her roommate, according to online court records.
Under the plea agreement, Dubose faces a sentence ranging from 35 to 44 years in prison. The deal calls for two consecutive terms: 20 to 25 years for the murder and 15 to 19 years for the attempted murder.
The case began on Oct. 2, 2023, at 7:18 a.m., when officers responded to a 911 call at a residence on Worth Street, police said, WRAL reports.
At the home, officers found Risi and her roommate suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, Local 12 reports.
Investigators said Dubose broke into the house where the women lived, chased Risi, and fired 11 rounds, striking her eight times, Local 12 reports. Police said he also shot her roommate three times. Both women were rushed to a local hospital, where Risi was pronounced dead.
The roommate identified Dubose to police. About 30 minutes later, officers responding to another call found Dubose with self-inflicted stab wounds, police said, Local 12 reports.
Dubose told officers he had “shot a female in the face and wasn’t going back to prison and couldn’t live anymore,” police said, Local 12 reports.
Risi’s father, Matteo Risi, said he learned the alleged motive during a court hearing, telling WRAL that prosecutors said Dubose wanted an exclusive relationship and Risi did not.
“The District Attorney explained that he had wanted an exclusive relationship with Angela,” Matteo Risi told WRAL. “She didn’t want that. She left his car, (and) went into her house.
“He broke in, then chased her to the back of the house … fired 11 rounds, shot her eight times, with a handgun, 9-millimeter handgun.
“And then, even more amazing, is he then burst into the bedroom of Angela’s roommate and shot her three times. She survived but is permanently disabled.”
A GoFundMe organized by Risi’s sister described her as “a gentle and compassionate soul who was a light in the life of anyone who knew her. She was quirky, eccentric, and bursting with intelligence and talent, but we will never get to know how the rest of her story would have unfolded.”
Dubose’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
