Two eyewitnesses to a 2010 fatal stabbing in Watertown testified Thursday that it did not appear that the woman accused of the crime was acting in self-defense when it occurred.

Cory and Stephanie Desforges were roommates of Krista M. Goley on Sept. 1, 2010, the day she is alleged to have killed Timothy C. Rolland, 21, by stabbing him near the heart with a butcher knife. Goley is on trial in Jefferson County Court facing a second-degree murder charge.

The Desforges moved into 111 E. Lynde St., Apt. 3, about two months before the incident. Mr. Desforges was a Fort Drum soldier at the time who had befriended Goley, also a soldier. Mrs. Desforges said the couple needed a place to live and moved into Goley’s one-bedroom apartment, which was also shared by Mr. Rolland, who was a former soldier, and Goley’s 5-year-old son. Mrs. Desforges said she slept on the apartment’s couch, while her husband slept on cushions on the floor.

Goley has given police statements indicating that Mr. Rolland was repeatedly physically abusive to her and her son, but both Desforges testified that they had never witnessed any abuse or were otherwise aware of any, although Mrs. Desforges said the couple “argued daily.” Both Desforges said Goley was “controlling” of Mr. Rolland.

On Aug. 30, 2010, two days before the fatal stabbing, the Desforges said they witnessed Goley pull a knife on Mr. Rolland, although Mr. Desforges described the weapon as a small steak knife, while Mrs. Desforges identified it as the butcher knife allegedly used in the fatal stabbing. Mr. Desforges said he went into the bathroom for most of the dispute, but Mrs. Desforges said she saw Goley “swipe” at Mr. Rolland with it while he tried to disarm her. She said Mr. Rolland was not acting aggressively and disputed Goley’s account that she was thrown against cupboards during the incident.

On Sept. 1, 2010, Mrs. Desforges said she was sleeping when she heard the couple fighting. She witnessed Mr. Rolland punch Goley twice above the eye, prompting Goley to grab the butcher knife from a kitchen drawer. She said an intoxicated Mr. Rolland tried to get the knife away from Goley, while Goley “kept poking” him with it.

“He had already been poked three or four times and there were a lot of red blood spots on his shirt,” Mrs. Desforges said.

She said she then saw Mr. Rolland throw a stool and a small table at Goley, with the stool striking her shoulder and the table missing. She said Mr. Rolland moved towards Goley, but Goley “ducked under him and ran toward the living room.”

“He touched her in the shoulder and she whirled around and that’s when she stabbed him just above the heart,” Mrs. Desforges said. “He told her to call someone because he was bleeding so bad.”

Goley has given police a statement indicating that the fatal wound was inflicted when Mr. Rolland raised his arm above his head to punch her, but Mrs. Desforges said that Mr. Rolland never raised his arm prior to the final stabbing. However, shortly after the incident, Mrs. Desforges had told police that Goley was holding the knife defensively and that Mr. Rolland was stabbed after he had “grabbed” Goley by the shirt and spun her around.

“I was trying to downplay it because at that time I didn’t know Tim was dead,” she said. “I was trying to make it so no one would get in trouble.”

Mr. Desforges testified that he had taken a strong sleeping medication designed to allow him to sleep through the night. However, he was awoken by a banging noise and looked up to see Mr. Rolland throw the table at Goley, but could not tell if it struck her. He said he pretended to be asleep to avoid becoming involved in the dispute, at which time he saw Goley stab Mr. Rolland with “an upward thrust.”

“I was shocked,” he said.

Jurors also heard testimony from a neighbor of Goley’s, Allan R. Bellinger, who, along with his mother, Mary, had a conversation with Goley and Mr. Rolland on his porch a few hours before the stabbing. He said the couple appeared to have been arguing and, when Mr. Rolland went upstairs to put Goley’s child to bed, Goley continued the conversation.

“She said, in front of my mother and I, that if he misbehaves during the night, she was going to stab him,” he said.

Mr. Bellinger said he thought Goley was joking, until he was awoken a few hours later by sirens and learned that Mr. Rolland had been stabbed.

Testimony enters its fourth day this morning.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer