College track star Denita Jackson has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action after authorities say she fatally stabbed her boyfriend, fellow athlete Kevaughn Goldson, in a case that has stunned the Lincoln University community and sparked widespread conversation online.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Jackson, a senior and women’s track and field runner at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, was arrested after a warrant was issued on Monday, Feb. 23. Prosecutors allege she stabbed Goldson, a 23-year-old senior and men’s track and field athlete from Kingston, Jamaica, during a confrontation at her residence.
Police say the incident unfolded on Feb. 22 after tensions escalated between the couple, who Jackson described as having been in a “volatile relationship” for years. The probable cause statement states that Jackson and Goldson had previously been involved in domestic violence reports and that friends had urged her to stay away from him.
The most recent dispute reportedly began over a broken bottle of cologne. Jackson told police that she had agreed to replace it after an argument. Although the pair no longer lived together, Goldson allegedly came to her residence on Feb. 21 and spent the night. Jackson, who now lives with two roommates, left for work the next morning while Goldson remained at her home.
According to the affidavit, Jackson returned early from work on Feb. 22 because she was not feeling well. When she arrived, she noticed her bedding was disturbed and Goldson was no longer in her room. She told investigators she suspected he was involved with one of her roommates. The documents state that Jackson forced entry into the roommate’s bedroom using a hair clip and found Goldson and the roommate in bed together, clothed, with the bottle of cologne between them.
Jackson allegedly told police she lunged onto the bed, grabbed the cologne bottle, and pulled Goldson by his shirt, triggering a physical altercation. She claimed Goldson kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall into a nearby mirror. The roommate reportedly ran from the room and told the couple to stop fighting.
Jackson further alleged that Goldson pinned her arm to the ground and began choking her. According to the statement, she said she saw a knife under the roommate’s bed, grabbed it, and stabbed Goldson in the back. When he did not appear to react, she said she stabbed him again in the chest.
Authorities say Jackson called Jefferson City Police herself, stating that she had been involved in a disturbance and had stabbed Goldson. Officers arrived to find Goldson in the living room with stab wounds to his chest and back, along with minor scratches consistent with a struggle. He was transported to Capital Region Medical Center, where evidence photographs were taken, and later airlifted to MU Hospital in Columbia, Missouri. Goldson died during surgery.
Jackson was arrested and is being held without bond. As of publication, no court hearings have been scheduled.
The case has left classmates, teammates, and the broader Lincoln University community grappling with the loss and the serious charges now facing one of their own.
