Boston man pleads guilty in 2022 stabbing death of former girlfriend
BOSTON, January 7, 2025 – A Boston man who was apprehended in Florida a week after stabbing his former girlfriend to death inside her apartment in 2022 will serve at least 20 years in prison after pleading guilty today, District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.
CHRISTOPHER HOWARD, 42, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the May 10, 2022 fatal stabbing of Terkeisha Boykins, 40. Judge Mary Ames sentenced Howard to life in prison, with parole eligibility after 20 years.
Jury selection for Howard’s trial was scheduled to begin later this month.
Prosecutors told the court that, shortly before 9:40 p.m. on May 10, Howard, was inside a bedroom with Boykins in her Mattapan apartment. Upon hearing commotion in the room, witnesses opened the bedroom door and observed Howard on top of the victim, stabbing her with a knife. Howard fled the apartment and the state. He was apprehended more than 1,000 miles away in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 17.
Boykins, who shared two daughters with Howard, was a mother of six daughters. Below are victim impact statements delivered in court today from four of her daughters.
“My mom was one of the most generous people that I had the blessing to call my mother, she was the most loving and caring person who would put anybody above herself no matter what, even if that means giving her last. She is the reason I am who I am today, and I miss her every day,” daughter age 18.
“She was the kindest person I’ve ever known, and she had the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. You must have a big heart to spread your love amongst six children without anyone feeling left out. She made each one of us feel special in our own way,” daughter age 25.
"My mother was a woman of courage and compassion, and also independent. But she had 6 different versions of her and we will live for ourselves and for her,” daughter age 23.
“It’s unfair that my sisters and I had to lose our loving, kind, caring and heartwarming mother at a young age. I pray that my mom gets justice and that she continues to watch over all of us every day. I miss her more than words can explain,” daughter age 16.
Hayden praised the survivors for their statements and thanked the prosecution team and members of the Boston Police Homicide Unit for their work on the case.
“Terkeisha Boykins’s daughters couldn’t have been more eloquent in expressing memories of their mother, who very clearly loved them and who was very clearly loved in return. I thank them for their beautiful tributes and I thank everyone who worked so hard to bring the person responsible for Terkeisha’s tragic death to justice,” Hayden said.
The victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, should call 911 in an emergency. SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country, can be reached at 800-656-4673.
Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.
All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.
James Borghesani, Chief of Communications