A Somerville woman pleaded guilty today on charges in connection with the stabbing death of her boyfriend, Arnaldo Amado, 42, of Somerville, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public.

Kimberly Savini, 33, of Somerville, pleaded guilty today in Middlesex Superior Court to charges of second degree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.  Middlesex Superior Court Judge Garry Inge sentenced the defendant to life in prison with eligibility for parole on the murder count, and fifteen years probation to run concurrent on the assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury count.  The Judge also ordered that any contact with the defendant and the victim’s child or with the victim’s family is solely at victim’s family discretion.

“This is another troubling case of domestic violence, where the defendant killed her boyfriend, leaving their young child without a father,” District Attorney Leone said.  “This defendant has now admitted to killing Arnaldo Amado and will be held responsible for his death.  Domestic violence is not a gender issue, it is about power and control by one person over another.  We commend the victim’s family for their continued strength in channeling their grief into focusing on the life of the child of the victim and defendant, by ensuring the child is raised by both the victim’s and the defendant’s loving families and has a continued relationship with the child’s mother.”

According to authorities, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 27, 2008, Somerville Police responded to a 911 call of a reported stabbing at the address of 11 Greenville Street in Somerville.  When police arrived, they discovered the victim unresponsive and suffering from an apparent stab wound.

The victim was transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 5 p.m.

Authorities immediately began an investigation into the stabbing.  In the beginning stages of the investigation, the defendant told police that the victim had returned home from a bar suffering from a stab wound, but was unable to provide any additional details as to the name of either the bar nor how the victim got home.  Based on the defendant’s statements, police began to canvas the neighborhood, but noted the absence of any blood leading to the defendant’s apartment.

Authorities returned to the defendant’s apartment and determined that the defendant had stabbed and killed the victim in an incident of domestic violence.  The defendant was arrested that evening and arraigned in Somerville District Court on December 29, 2008 where she was ordered held without bail.  The defendant was indicted by a Middlesex grand jury in February 9, 2009 and arraigned on February 24, 2009 where Assistant Clerk Magistrate Matthew Day ordered her held without bail.

The prosecutors assigned to the case are Assistant District Attorney Marian Ryan and Assistant District Attorney Heidi Gosule.  The Victim Witness Advocate is Daniela Bianco.  This case was investigated by the Somerville Police and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.