The family of a woman who is accused of stabbing two of her children last week claims she did it as a way to protect her family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Police say 29-year-old Sydnie Jefferson stabbed her 3-year-old and 7-year-old sons in their necks while they were in their beds sleeping April 1.
“This is a result of all that she has suffered over the course of this relationship. And it was our greatest fear,” said Rev. Lisa Goods, Jefferson’s cousin.
Goods said Jefferson is a domestic violence victim and has been in an abusive relationship for five years.
She said the abuse led Jefferson to her breaking point last Friday and said her cousin’s actions were out of “love and protection.”
“We know that she wanted a way out. We also know that domestic violence causes post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, mental instability and all manner of mental and emotional breakdown and this is what we saw in our beloved Sydnie,” Goods said.
Blaine Jones, Jefferson’s attorney, said hours after the incident when he had met with Jefferson, she repeatedly said she was protecting her children.
“I can tell you that that was, that was pretty much her every sentence or every word. Protection of her kids. I know a lot of your viewing public may not understand that. If you give us some time we’ll be able to bring more, more to light. But it’s still early,” Jones said.
Neither Goods nor Jones would confirm who or what Jefferson was protecting her kids from.
Goods did confirm to KDKA that the children’s father was in a relationship with Jefferson when the stabbing happened.
“They were not married. They were in a boyfriend-girlfriend situation, a long-term relationship,” Goods said.
Jefferson’s family described her as a hard worker who had a bright future ahead. They said Jefferson loved her children.
“We want people to know that Sydnie is not a criminal. Sydnie is a victim and victims need help and healing, not judgment and accusations,” Goods said.
Jones said Jefferson will undergo a behavioral health assessment at the Allegheny County Jail in the coming days.
“We feel when Sydnie is in a place where mentally she’s comfortable, then we’ll start discussing the case more in-depth, but our paramount concern right now is for mental health,” Jones said.
Goods said the two children are recovering in the hospital and are “doing well.”
Two other children were also in the home at the time of the stabbing but were not injured.
Goods said their great grandmother was given emergency custody of all the children. She also mentioned it is not the first time their great grandmother was given custody.
“There were some concerns that were raised (in the past) that CYF gave her custody,” Goods said.
“Serious concerns,” Jones said.
“But those concerns were one of the reasons why the oldest child, 7, we really tried to keep separated because there was fear because of the history,” Goods said.
Goods told KDKA the family requested that the hospital keeps the children’s father away from the 7-year-old boy who was stabbed.
Goods said the man is the father of all the children except the 7-year-old boy.
“We did ask hospital officials to keep him away from the other child. The child was fearful,” Goods said. “There were some incidents of him (the father) betraying that (request) and so hospital officials did intervene, in that in the child actually FaceTimed his great grandmother, because he was fearful because he came into the room.”
KDKA called the father of the children on Thursday who had no comment at this time.
“Sydnie, we love you and there’s nothing that will change that we love her. We love her children. And so, we asked the public for compassion. We ask people who believe in prayer, to send prayer,” Goods said. “And part of restoration and healing, we think, is sharing her story that she might get the help that she needs and that somebody else might hear her story and not have to endure what she endured.”
Jefferson has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 13.
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