TOLEDO, Ohio — UPDATE: Nichole Kazan was sentenced on July 5 in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to 4 years of community control. If she violates community control, she could get 11 - 16.5 years in prison.
A woman charged in the May stabbing death of her boyfriend entered an Alford plea and was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
In June, Nichole Kazan, 44, withdrew her not guilty plea to a murder charge in 44-year-old Jeff Barker's death.
A defendant entering an Alford plea does not admit to committing a crime but admits the state has sufficient evidence to get a conviction that could lead to a more severe sentence.
According to court documents, Barker had a history of domestic abuse against Kazan and Kazan suffered from Battered Woman Syndrome.
The incident happened at Winchester Place Apartments off Alexis Road just before 5 a.m. on May 3, 2022.
According to a police report, officers received a call about an unwanted person at a home on the 1900 block of West Alexis Road. Minutes later, a second call came in, reporting a stabbing at the same residence.
When police arrived on the scene, they found Barker inside his vehicle suffering from at least one stab wound. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Officers said Kazan was on the scene when they arrived. She was then arrested and charged with murder.
According to police, Kazan and Barker were in a relationship.