Trenton woman accused of fatally stabbing boyfriend was previously convicted of criminal homicide

Edna White, 56, allegedly used a 10-inch butcher knife to stab 55-year-old Dwelle Jerome Clark during an argument at his home on Heil Avenue Saturday

Edna WhiteMercer County Prosecutor's Office 

TRENTON -- The Trenton woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death during an argument last weekend was previously convicted of criminal homicide more than 30 years ago and has a lengthy criminal history, prosecutors said today.

Edna White, 56, allegedly used a 10-inch knife to stab 55-year-old Dwelle Jerome Clark in the chest during an argument Saturday at his home on Heil Avenue, Assistant Prosecutor Jim Scott said.

White's criminal history was raised this morning during a hearing that led Superior Court Judge Mark Fleming to change White's bail to make it harder for her to secure release.

White’s bail was previously set at $75,000 with a 10 percent option, but Fleming changed it to cash or bond.

Clark died Tuesday, and an autopsy completed Thursday confirmed his cause of death was the stab wound, Scott said. Charges for White have not yet been upgraded to murder from aggravated assault, he said.

“It sounds imminent that a murder complaint will be issued,” Fleming said. “Under the circumstances, I think it’s appropriate to modify bail along the lines suggested by the state.”

Scott said the argument between White and Clark began in an upstairs bedroom in the home with Clark’s mother and another person present. Clark left the room with White’s cane, and White followed into another bedroom, where she allegedly stabbed him once in the chest, Scott said.

“It was a deep, penetrating wound to the left side of the chest above the rib cage,” Scott said.

Clark was able to tell responding police officers that White stabbed him, Scott said.

“The victim saw the defendant as she walked down the steps and pointed out that she was the one who stabbed him,” Scott said.

White’s attorney Samuel Goldberg said that White and Clark, who were dating and have a child together, fought often and White was defending herself.

“They’ve had a contentious history and it’s our understanding that the victim initiated this,” Goldberg said.

Contact Alyssa Mease at (609) 989-5673 or amease@njtimes.com

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