A Texas woman is in custody after authorities allege she fatally stabbed her uncle following an argument in their shared home.
Ashley Marie Siebenaller, 32, was taken into custody on Jan. 3 and charged with murder in connection with the death of her uncle, Tony Vernon Graham, 64. Police say Graham was stabbed on Dec. 26 inside a Fort Worth home where the two were living with two other roommates.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Fort Worth Police Department, one roommate told officers they heard Graham and Siebenaller arguing shortly before the roommate went to take a shower. When the roommate returned to the living room, they reportedly found Graham on the floor with stab wounds, while Siebenaller—described as bloodied—sat quietly on a nearby couch. The affidavit alleges a bloodied knife was found on the ground and moved to a table by the roommate.
Graham was pronounced dead at the scene after officers arrived, the affidavit states.
Police initially questioned Siebenaller at the home, but officers wrote in the affidavit that she did not appear able to speak at the time and instead communicated by writing responses on paper. “Officers initially believed she was non-verbal,” the document says.
Investigators later interviewed Siebenaller again on Dec. 30, and police noted she appeared able to communicate verbally during that follow-up interview. The affidavit says she first denied stabbing her uncle, then allegedly admitted to attacking him with a knife—claiming Graham had stabbed her in the mouth first. Investigators reported they did not observe injuries in or around her mouth consistent with a stab wound, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit also alleges Siebenaller told investigators that Graham “pissed her off” and told her she needed to start cooking.
Despite the alleged confession, Siebenaller was not arrested immediately and was allowed to return home after the Dec. 30 interview, the affidavit states.
On Jan. 2, one of Siebenaller’s roommates called police and reported that she was standing outside their bedroom holding a knife, making the roommate feel unsafe, according to the affidavit. Police issued an arrest warrant the next day and took Siebenaller into custody on Jan. 3.
Siebenaller remains jailed on a single murder charge, according to Tarrant County Jail records. The records indicate she is being held without bond.
