SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —
A woman was found dead inside her Seminole County home after she was stabbed multiple times by her estranged boyfriend on Friday, according to Sheriff Dennis Lemma.
Lemma said they received an emergency call at 12:30 a.m. at the Pickett Downs neighborhood in Chuluota regarding a stabbing.
The man who made the phone call said he was stabbed in the leg while sleeping. It all started when he awoke to broken glass and a man on top of the woman next to him in bed.
He said the perpetrator who broke into the house started stabbing the woman with what appeared to be a knife.
He attempted to kick the perpetrator off the victim but was stabbed in the upper leg and decided to flee out of the house. He then ran into his neighbor's house and called law enforcement.
Upon arriving at the scene, deputies came in contact with the 16-year-old son of the victim. Deputies said he was not involved in the crime.
Deputies began to search the house and found the woman, Kristen Stevens, dead on the bedroom floor with around 20-70 stab wounds, according to Lemma.
Lemma said it was a "horrific scene."
Next to her body, deputies found the kitchen knife used in the killing.
The perpetrator was identified as 42-year-old James Lindsey, the victim's estranged boyfriend, according to Lemma.
The couple had a son together, the same 16-year-old the deputies encountered.
While Lindsey was attempting to escape the crime scene, he was involved in a
single-vehicle crash. Lemma said the crash resulted in him being ejected from the vehicle, leading to his death.
Lemma explained that Lindsey and Stevens' relationship spread over 18 years of domestic violence and injunctions dating back to 2014.
In the past, the Stevens filed for an injunction alleging strangulations and other types of domestic violence, Lemma said.
The most recent report was on Nov. 6, when she was a victim of a battery incident. She claimed her estranged boyfriend climbed on top of her and that she was left with bruises on her body.
The report resulted in Lindsey being arrested for domestic violence, according to Lemma.
A final injunction was issued on Nov. 20, forcing Lindsey to surrender his 21 firearms and all ammunition, which he complied with.
Lemma said he was later released from jail on bond and was not ordered to wear an electronic monitoring device.
At this time, deputies have confirmed that no suspect is outstanding and that there is no threat to the public.
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