Homeless woman says Wichita fatal stabbing was in self-defense. She’ll go to prison

A 37-year-old woman will spend at least the next few years in prison for a fatal 2021 stabbing in the alley behind an east Wichita business.

Latoya Annette McCurn was sentenced Friday to 84 months in prison, with 77 months of that for voluntary manslaughter and seven months for criminal threat. She has been in custody since the Aug. 17, 2021 stabbing of 49-year-old Van Hung Nguyen and will get credit for that time served.

A passerby found Nguyen by a trash dumpster in an alley in the 7800 block of East Harry, near Rock Road. McCurn was later arrested in that block. She was homeless at the time.

When asked if she wanted to say anything during the sentencing, McCurn said: “I have nothing.”

McCurn, who originally faced a first-degree murder charge, entered into a plea agreement on June 28. Her attorney, Mark Sevart, asked for Judge Eric Williams to depart from the agreement and consider probation since, he said, this was self-defense.

Sevart said Nguyen approached McCurn and offered her a beer.

“He became then somewhat sexually aggressive,” Sevart said, adding his client told Nguyen no twice before he grabbed her leg near her genitals.

She grabbed a table knife she had in her purse and stabbed him one time, he said.

“She only stabbed him one time which could be an indication she was only trying to defend herself,” he said. “It’s just really a blurred line to where self-defense is acceptable to where self defense is excessive.”

Williams denied the attorney’s request.

One person spoke on her behalf, saying she has remorse for what happened:

She is a “human being who was in the wrong place at the wrong time but she feels sorry for what she did,” he said.

One family member of the victim also spoke, saying: “I want justice for my cousin.”

McCurn also has cases for probation violation for second-degree arson in Texas and battery on an officer in Cowley County, Kansas, Williams said.