Woman sentenced to prison after argument over stolen money and drugs led to stabbing death of Attleboro woman

A 22-year-old woman has been sentenced in connection to the September 2020 stabbing death of Kimberly Duphily in Attleboro.

Kayla Cantu was initially charged with the murder of Kimberly Duphily of Attleboro in addition to the stabbing of Jacob Duphily, Kimberly’s husband. She was held without bail.

According to ABC 6, Cantu was sentenced Thursday to serve 10 to 15 years in prison followed by three years of probation after pleading guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter.

The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office stated that during Cantu’s arraignment in September of 2020, Assistant District Attorney Jason Mohan told the court that the investigation had revealed that Cantu, both Duphilys, and others, were staying in the apartment on 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, Cantu swung a knife at him and slashed his face.

Cantu then fled the area and hid in a cluster of bushes. After being spotted in the bushes by one of the victims to the altercation, Cantu ran towards Bicknell Street, where she came upon a police officer working a detail. Cantu told the officer she had been stabbed on Leroy Street. Although Cantu 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.

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