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The Pleasanton Police Department on Friday announced the arrest of an Oakland woman on suspicion of murder in connection with a fatal stabbing in a Pleasanton apartment last year.
Investigators allege that 27-year-old Oakland resident Kennedy Stith knew the victim and lied about the initial story of a robbery gone bad that first led officers to the crime scene last year.
“The story of the two masked robbers … we determined was untrue,” Pleasanton police Lt. Erik Silacci told the Weekly. “We believe the suspect fabricated that story.”
On May 1, 2023, officers responded to a call at the Park Hacienda Apartments complex on Owens Drive about two people with ski masks running from an apartment. That’s where officers found 32-year-old resident Edevion White, a Tennessee native who was living in the apartment, unresponsive and suffering from stab wounds. White was pronounced dead at the scene.
Silacci said in a press release Friday that the initial report stated that White was stabbed during a robbery by “two male suspects wearing ski masks.” But after a year-long investigation, Pleasanton detectives concluded the claim was not true, Silacci said.
Instead, investigators allege Stith was the one who stabbed White in his apartment. Police arrested her at her home in Oakland on Thursday, according to Silacci.
He said PPD believed she had made up the story early on in the investigation after seeing discrepancies and evidence that went against the robbery tale, but that it took time to prove she lied about the circumstances.
Silacci said while they could have charged her in connection with fabricating the initial police report, the crux of the case was the murder, which is what they were most concerned about solving.
Stith was booked at the Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of homicide. According to the Alameda County Inmate Locator, Stith is being charged with first-degree murder and is being held without the possibility of bail. She is set to be arraigned on Monday (Sept. 16) at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.
“The City of Pleasanton extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Edevion White, and we are working closely with them during this challenging period,” Silacci said in the press release. “We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation during this investigation, and we remain committed to ensuring the safety of our community.”
