LEBANON COUNTY, PA – A Lebanon City woman has been charged with Criminal Homicide in connection with the stabbing death of Dontay Maurice Hunter, according to the Lebanon County District Attorney’s Office.
Katelynn Kearney, 32, was arrested after police determined she fatally stabbed Hunter inside his apartment at 833 Chestnut Street in the late evening hours of October 4. Kearney was previously charged on October 6 with Tampering with Physical Evidence after attempting to dispose of her clothing and the murder weapon. She remains held without bail at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility.
Investigators say Kearney, the victim, and her mother all lived in the same apartment building. Surveillance video captured Kearney and Hunter arguing inside the victim’s apartment around 9:00 p.m. Shortly afterward, Kearney and her mother were seen entering and exiting the apartment repeatedly over the next 12 hours, removing items. Around 9:40 p.m., Kearney was seen discarding a bag into a dumpster, later recovered by police. It contained the clothes she wore during the murder and the knife used in the stabbing. She did not call 911 until nearly 12 hours after the incident.
In initial statements to police, Kearney and her mother denied involvement. After being confronted with evidence, Kearney admitted to the stabbing and claimed it was in self-defense, although no injuries were observed on her. She later reenacted the incident for investigators and stated she believed she stabbed the victim twice. An autopsy confirmed a single fatal stab wound to the chest and ruled the death a homicide. The victim was unarmed.
Police also charged Joanne Kearney, the defendant’s mother, with Tampering with Physical Evidence for her role in removing items from the scene.
Kearney has a 2013 conviction for First Degree Battery in Charlotte, Florida. The victim had no known history of assault or domestic violence-related offenses. No protection orders were in place, although police had prior contact with both parties in December 2024. No charges were filed at that time.
