Man pleads guilty to murder in Columbus stabbing of girlfriend with scissors
A man entered a negotiated guilty plea Monday to the charges of felony murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbing death of a woman in Columbus, according to court documents.
Antoine Bell Sr., 41, pleaded guilty to the aforementioned charges in two 2021 stabbing incidents of his then-girlfriend Salaysia Duerner, 45.
Bell first stabbed Duerner on Sep. 12, 2021, with a knife during an argument, according to Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Don Kelly.
Police had issued warrants for Bell’s arrest, but before he could be arrested, he stabbed Duerner again Oct. 3, 2021, with a pair of scissors, according to Kelly.
Officers were called to a private residence near Curry Street and found Duerner lying in the roadway with multiple stab wounds.
During a Columbus Recorder’s Court hearing in October 2021, Columbus Police Detective Sherman Hayes testified Duerner and Bell were inside Bell’s grandparent’s home when the incident occurred.
Hayes said several reports of domestic violence between the two had been filed.
“When we talked to family on scene, they stated that the relationship between the two was extremely toxic,” Hayes said.
Sentencing
Court documents show Bell was sentenced by Judge Carolyn “Tippi” Cain Burch to life with the possibility of parole on the charge of felony murder and 20 years on each of the two aggravated assault charges to serve concurrently to the felony murder charge.
Kelly thanked the Columbus Police Department and Assistant District Attorney Anthony Pickett for their work in the case.
“Domestic violence is a major issue nationally,” he said. “This case exhibits all the characteristics of domestic abuse. We will continue the fight against domestic violence by prosecuting abusers to the fullest extent of the law.”
If you are in an abusive relationship, you can get help from the Hope Harbour Crisis Hotline at 706-324-3850 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 11:17 AM.