Stabbing after child's birthday party leaves 1 man dead, his cousin charged in Wilkinsburg

Megan Guza And Tony LaRussa, The Tribune-Review, Greensburg
·2 min read

Apr. 8—A fight after an infant's birthday party ended in a fatal stabbing in Wilkinsburg early Thursday, leaving one man dead and his cousin charged with homicide, according to Allegheny County Police.

Police received a call just before 12:30 a.m. about a stabbing at a home on Penn Avenue, said Sgt. Todd Dolfi. Inside the home, officers found 30-year-old Brian Devante Jameel Clay dead from a stab wound to his chest.

Emmanual Jones, 26, of Wilkinsburg, is charged with homicide. Investigators wrote in court documents that Jones and Clay are cousins.

The birthday party was for Jones' 1-year-old daughter, according to the criminal complaint. At some point, Jones began to argue with his girlfriend, who he alleged ripped a necklace off of his neck and smashed a window with a baseball bat.

According to the complaint, Jones said most guests left after the argument, but Clay, his cousin, hung around. Jones said he "became depressed" and grabbed the knife used to cut the cake and told his cousin "he did not want to be here and he was going to stab himself."

Jones told police Clay asked him to put the knife down, to which Jones replied that he "didn't like himself," according to the complaint.

Clay then tried to take the knife as he followed Jones up a set of stairs, according to the complaint.

"Jones said when (Clay) pulled his hand, his arm extended forward and the knife stuck Brian in the chest," investigators wrote.

Other witnesses told a different story, according to the complaint.

Clay's mother told police her son called her shortly after midnight and, in the background, she heard Jones, her nephew, say, "I'm gonna stab you, it's all your fault," according to the complaint.

Shortly after that, police wrote, she spoke to Clay's girlfriend via FaceTime, and the woman told her Clay was trying to break up the fight between Jones and his girlfriend.

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