She claims she was defending herself and her unborn child.
Keshia Golden was 8 months pregnant when her attorney says her boyfriend attacked her and she defended herself by stabbing him.
Golden's supporters are demanding Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke drop all charges.
They held a rally downtown Chicago on Monday for Golden.
"She reached for a knife to protect herself from her abuser, who was trying to kill her and her unborn child," Golden's attorney Julie Koehler said.
Koehler says, in October of 2022, Golden was pregnant with her only child. During her baby shower, her boyfriend at the time, Calvin Sidney, allegedly attacked her.
"Hit her, grabbed her hair, slammed her head down on a kitchen counter, and the fight was then dragged into another room. Keshia grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the leg," Koehler said.
According to case documents, the knife struck Sidney's femoral artery.
SEE ALSO: Cook County officials speak out on claims of ICE agent activity at courthouses
He was taken to a hospital, where he later died. Golden was charged with murder.
"Justice is not ignoring a woman cries for help until it's too late and then condemning her for surviving," said Dyanna Winchester, with the Women's Justice Institute.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said in a statement, "The defendant previously rejected the state's offer to resolve this case, which included a plea to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, with no additional time served. As this case remains pending litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time."
"It's a scary message to send the women of Cook County, that if you defend yourself in an abusive relationship, that you could face first-degree murder charges," said Sierra Bartlett, with the Cook County Public Defender's Office.
Prosecutors argue that Golden and Sidney were arguing over who could use the microwave. They allege Golden "knocked a plate of food" out of his hands, and that's when he allegedly pushed her onto the counter. A family member separated the two.
Sidney allegedly went into a bedroom, prosecutors said Golden walked to the room while armed with a knife and fatally stabbed him while he was laying on the bed.
According to a 2020 National Coalition of Domestic Violence Report, more than half of Black women murdered were killed by current or former romantic partners.
Documents show five police reports of domestic violence between Golden and Sidney were filed before the day of the murder. It's something Golden's supporters say should have received more attention.
"He choked her while she was 18 weeks pregnant. So there's lots of documentation, and I wish there had been more intervention at those earlier stages," Bartlett said.
If the charges are not dropped and this does go to trial, Golden's attorney says the trial is expected to start sometime this summer.
Golden will be in court at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.
You can contact the Illinois domestic violence hotline at 1-877-863-6338 click here for more information.