A murder suspect was killed in a rollover crash in Orange County on Friday morning, hours after he allegedly stabbed a woman to death in a Seminole County home.
According to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home located in the 2600 block of Hibbard Trail in Chuluota at around 1 a.m. on Friday, December 6, in reference to a stabbing incident. Upon arrival, deputies located a deceased woman, identified as 40-year-old Kristin Stevens, who had sustained “numerous stab wounds.”
SCSO stated that a male victim at the residence had also been stabbed in the leg, and he had fled to a neighbor’s home after the incident to call 911. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
A teenager who was at the residence at the time of the stabbing was not injured.
An investigation was launched, and detectives quickly identified the suspect in the case as 42-year-old James Christopher Lindsey. According to SCSO, Lindsey had recently been in a domestic partnership with the female victim, Stevens.
Detectives believe that Lindsey broke into the home early Friday morning and attacked the two victims before fleeing from the area in a Chrysler 300 sedan.
Approximately four hours later, Lindsey was found deceased after being involved in a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of Fort Christmas Road and W Christmas Road in Orange County. A report from the Florida Highway Patrol stated that Lindsey was speeding when he failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway.
Lindsey’s sedan proceeded to veer off the roadway and overturned after striking a stop sign, trees, and a wire fence. A trooper noted in the report that Lindsey was not wearing a seatbelt, and he was ejected from the vehicle during the crash.
In a media release on Friday afternoon, SCSO referred to the stabbing incident as “isolated” and “domestic,” adding that there is no ongoing threat to the area.
According to the sheriff’s office, Stevens and Lindsey had a “history of domestic violence incidents involving law enforcement.” Most recently, on Wednesday, November 6, Lindsey was arrested and charged with domestic violence battery against Stevens.
“Lindsey was scheduled to appear in court today on his arraignment in that [domestic violence battery] case,” stated SCSO in the release.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma released the following statement on Friday afternoon:
“This is a heartbreaking and traumatic incident that will have a lasting impact on families and a community. I am proud of our deputies’ quick response to the scene and our detectives who have been working around the clock to put these cases together. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Our team will continue to work diligently to uncover the full details surrounding this case.”