A judge has ordered the daughter of a former U.S. diplomat held without bond, after hearing more details about last week’s fatal stabbing in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Sophia Negroponte, 27, is charged with murder in the stabbing of 24-year-old Yousuf Rasmussen. Negroponte is the daughter of former United Nations Ambassador John Negroponte.
Montgomery County police found Negroponte lying on top of Rasmussen’s body on Thursday night yelling, “I’m sorry,” according to charging documents.
A witness who called 911 told police that they had all been drinking margaritas at an apartment in Rockville.
The witness said Negroponte and Rasmussen began to bicker with each other. At one point, Negroponte grabbed Rasmussen from behind, and they lost balance and fell to the ground, where they began to wrestle.
Afterward, all three resumed watching TV and listening to music.
Another argument ensued between Negroponte and the victim, and the witness told police that Rasmussen then decided to leave.
Rasmussen came back shortly afterward, saying he was not able to find his phone. The witness tried to call Rasmussen, but they were not able to hear the phone ringing.
As Rasmussen bent over looking for his phone in his backpack, the witness said, Negroponte removed a kitchen knife from a drawer and lunged at Rasmussen, aiming for his neck.
The witness said blood spurted out of Rasmussen’s neck as he fell to the floor with Negroponte on top of him.
After her arrest, Negroponte told police she only remembers removing the knife from Rasmussen’s neck and lying atop him, yelling at him not to die, the documents said.
Judge Patricia Mitchell ordered that Negroponte be held without bond until a preliminary hearing in March.
