Attleboro woman to be arraigned on new murder charge from September homicide

A 20-year-old Attleboro woman will be arraigned this morning on a new charge of Murder in connection to the September 11 stabbing death of Kimberly Duphily in Attleboro, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Kayla Cantu, who is already being held on $25,000 cash bail for stabbing the deceased victim’s husband during the same incident, is now charged with the murder of Kimberly Duphily, 28, of Attleboro in addition to the previously lodged charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon against Jacob Duphily, 28, of Attleboro.

During the defendant’s arraignment in September, Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan told the court that the investigation has revealed that the deceased, the defendant, the deceased’s 28-year-old husband, and others were staying in the apartment at 6 Leroy Street. At some point just before 4 p.m. on September 11, a fight broke out inside the apartment, allegedly over stolen money and drugs.

ADA Mohan went on to tell the court that the deceased and the defendant engaged in combat inside and outside the apartment. At some point while the women were fighting outside, the deceased’s husband approached the two women. At that point, the defendant is accused of swinging a knife at him and slashing his face, which is the basis for the charge lodged against her.

The defendant then fled the area and hid in a cluster of bushes. After being spotted in the bushes by one of the victim’s to the altercation, the defendant ran towards Bicknell Street, where she came upon a police officer working a detail. The defendant told the officer she had been stabbed at 6 Leroy Street. Although the defendant did sustain knife wounds to her hand that required stitches, ADA Mohan told the court that the wound was likely due to the knife slipping in her hand.

While this was occurring, ADA Mohan said, Duphily’s husband and others rendered aid to Duphily, who had been stabbed twice. When first responders arrived on scene, they found Duphily bleeding from the stab wounds and rushed her to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced deceased by emergency room doctors.

The defendant and the deceased’s husband were also taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The investigation into the homicide and the facts and circumstances surrounding it are still being actively investigated by Homicide Unit prosecutors, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to this office, and Attleboro Police detectives.