January 11, 2010 2:11 PM | UPDATED STORY
A 24-year-old Douglas Park woman charged with murder in the death of her live-in boyfriend says she stabbed him in self defense, her attorney told a Cook County judge today.
Edrinna Bryant, of the 1600 block of South California Boulevard, is charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said.
Bryant's 30-year-old boyfriend, Lavelle Hardy, was stabbed near the couple's residence about 11 p.m. Friday and died a short time later at Mount Sinai Hospital, authorities said.
Bryant was ordered held today in lieu of $350,000 in a hearing before Cook County Criminal Court Judge Israel Desierto.
Neighbors heard Bryant and Hardy arguing inside their apartment and then later saw them outside the apartment, prosecutors said. Bryant was seen standing over Hardy with a butcher knife in one hand and two knives in other hand while Hardy lay on the ground.
At some point, Bryant went back inside the apartment and then put Hardy into her car and drove him to Mount Sinai hospital, where he died of stab wounds to his chest, biceps, shoulder and hand, according to Assistant State's Attorney Antara Nath.
When Bryant arrived at the hospital, hospital personnel saw no injuries on Bryant, but after she left to move her car, she returned with what hospital personnel said appeared to be "obviously" self-inflicted stab wounds to her hand, Nath said.
Bryant was taken into police custody at the hospital, authorities said.
Later, Bryant admitted to police that she stabbed the victim but said it was in self defense, Nath said.
Prosecutors asked Desierto to deny bond but defense attorney Mark Kusatzky said that Hardy was the one who was the aggressor in the incident. The fight happened after Bryant had returned to the apartment to retrieve her belongings in order to leave her boyfriend, who she said had a long history of violence toward her, Kusatzky said.
"Mr. Hardy became enraged that my client was leaving," Kusatzky said.
Kusatzky also said Hardy armed himself with a knife and chased the victim around the apartment. When Bryant tried to get away by closing the bathroom door, Hardy broke in and that's when the stabbing took place.
Kusatzky also said Bryant drove Hardy to the hospital and while en route, Hardy called his mother on a cellphone.
"We believe that Mr. Hardy admitted to his mother that he was the aggressor," Kusatzky said.
-- Matthew Walberg, Deanese Williams-Harris
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