The Chilling Details of This HBCU Track Star Accused of Killing Her Boyfriend Based on a Wild Assumption

At Lincoln University, couple Denita Jackson and Kevaughn Goldson were defined by their speed as star sprinters for the Blue Tigers. But what began as cheating suspicions in the early hours of a Monday morning ended with one athlete dead and the other trading her track uniform for a prison jumpsuit.

It’s a case that has sent shockwaves through the HBCU community after Jackson, 27, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for Goldson’s death, according to local channel ABC 17 News.  

Court documents state the pair had a history of domestic violence incidents, with a missing bottle of cologne at the center of their most recent fight that escalated on Monday (Feb. 23).

After Jackson returned home early from work to her off-campus apartment around 1 a.m. because she wasn’t feeling well, Goldson—a senior runner—was fully clothed in Jackson’s roommate’s bed with the bottle of cologne they had fought over in between them, TMZ reported.

The senior sprinter told police she thought Goldson was having an affair with the roommate, leading to a physical altercation between the couple after Jackson picked the roommate’s locked door with a hair clip, according to KOMU 8.

Jackson allegedly grabbed Goldson by his shirt, and Goldson allegedly kicked and choked her before Jackson allegedly grabbed a knife from under the roommate’s bed, police said.

Jackson is accused of stabbing her 23-year-old boyfriend in the back, but after Goldson “did not react as if he had been stabbed,”she stabbed him in the chest and then called 911, she said. Police said they tried to interview the victim at the emergency room, but he was not cooperating with authorities before he was airlifted to University Hospital. He died during surgery.

The following day, Jackson was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, but she claimed self-defense according to TMZ. She is being held in the Cole County Jail without bond, according to jail records. A court appearance has not yet been scheduled.

“Our thoughts are with family, friends, faculty, staff, and all who have been impacted by this tragic situation,” a Lincoln University spokesperson told PEOPLE. “The well-being of our University community is our greatest priority. Students and employees are reminded of counseling and other support services for those who need them.”