The defense are claiming she stabbed herself because she was suicidal.

Given the mental state of modern white women, I wouldn’t entirely rule it out…

KCRG:

An Iowa Appeals Court ruled the mental health history of a murdered Dubuque woman should have been allowed at the trial of her former boyfriend.

The court cited that as its main reason to overturn the second-degree murder conviction of Fontae Buelow on Wednesday. Buelow was serving a 50-year prison sentence after his conviction in January 2018.

Prosecutors say Buelow stabbed Samantha Link to death during a fight at a home on Kane Street in Dubuque in March 2017 after the two had returned from a night out at area bars. Buelow’s attorneys claim Link stabbed herself twice in the chest during the argument.

During trial, Buelow’s attorneys attempted to introduce evidence of Link’s mental health history and other testimony they say “demonstrate the decedent’s suicidal disposition.” That evidence included Link’s previous suicide attempts and mental health diagnosis that increased her risk for committing suicide. But the district court judge barred Buelow’s attorneys from presenting much of that evidence at his murder trial.

Prosecutors argued the mental health evidence was years old, making it irrelevant and only speculation to demean Link’s character.

In its ruling, the Iowa Court of Appeals ruled the evidence had important relevance to determining how Link died and whether Buelow had killed her and should have been allowed at trial.

Samantha Link with her missing link.