16-year-old charged as adult for fatal stabbing

A 16-year-old boy is being charged as an adult for allegedly stabbing a woman to death in Murray after she asked him to stop making racial slurs.

Melissa Wood, 34, died after she was stabbed last month outside an apartment complex at 4439 S. Brick Oven Way.

Witnesses said Wood was outside playing with children when she encountered the suspect in a parking lot, according to charging documents. He was allegedly saying racial slurs. Wood asked him to stop and told him he was being disrespectful. He argued with Wood and told her to “get out of his face” or he would slap her.

The documents say the suspect then attacked Wood. Witnesses thought he was punching her in the upper torso, but realized he had stabbed her when she collapsed while bleeding. Wood was stabbed six times.

The suspect allegedly sent a Snapchat after the stabbing saying he needed a ride out of state as soon as possible. He later admitted to police that he stabbed Wood, according to the charging documents.