Cantley case continues

May 07, 2008 11:18 am

— By TESA CULLI
tesa.culli@register-news.com
MT. VERNON — The case against a South 17th Street woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death in March last year continues, with the court setting another pretrial conference.
Kabria Cantley, 21, of the 400 block of South 17th Street, is facing two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the March 3, 2007, stabbing death of Bart A. Gladney, Cantley’s boyfriend at the time. Cantley was initially arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter in the death which stemmed from an alleged domestic dispute.
According to police and court records, Cantley contacted the Mt. Vernon Police Department on March 3, allegedly stating she had stabbed Gladney inside his home at 623 S. 20th St. Gladney was taken to St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance and was pronounced dead nearly an hour later.
Cantley was arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter by police, and after reviewing the investigation notes, was officially charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Her bond was set at that time at $150,000 but was reduced to $50,000 in April 2007, and she posted bail and was released. Bond terms included she remain on home confinement and have no contact with the Gladney family.
During the bond reduction hearing, her attorney, John O’Gara Jr. of Belleville, said Cantley killed Gladney in self-defense during a physical altercation, and blacked out during the incident and can’t remember the details of the alleged argument.
Jefferson County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeff Bradley stated in court that Cantley did not kill in self-defense, but in retaliation over an incident that began when Cantley threw a magazine at Gladney while they were arguing over a crying baby.
Since her bond reduction hearing, Cantley has had at least eight pretrial conferences: May 1, 2007; May 16, 2007; June 19, 2007; July 17, 2007; Sept. 5, 2007; Oct. 30, 2007; Feb. 20; and May 6. No trial date has been set in the case.
A further pretrial conference was set Tuesday for May 20, after neither O’Gara nor Cantley appeared in court. At the May 20 conference, plans are being made to set a trial date in the case.