Little Canada woman who pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing cousin to serve over 10 years in prison

A Little Canada woman who pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of a woman in August 2019 was sentenced on Friday to more than 10 years in prison.

According to court documents, 31-year-old Clarissa Martin had pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree murder on Dec. 3. She later entered into a plea agreement on Aug. 14 and amended her plea to guilty on one of the charges; the other charge was later dismissed.

On Friday, a judge sentenced Martin to 128 months at the Minnesota Correction Facility in Shakopee. She was credited with serving 425 days at the time of sentencing.

According to a criminal complaint, Martin left her home on the night of Aug. 4, 2019, and told her husband she was going to her cousin’s house to get baby food. When she returned, she said that her cousin, identified as Shayna Fairbanks, was still waiting in the car.

Woman charged in connection to fatal stabbing in Little Canada

After her husband told her she had to take Fairbanks home because the two lived with his parents and they didn’t want guests, he checked on her via the "Find My iPhone" app and saw she was still outside the home.

When Martin came inside again, her husband said he noticed blood all over her, and Martin said she had stabbed Fairbanks in self-defense.

Her husband then called 911 after finding Fairbanks in a vehicle.

Woman pleads not guilty in fatal Little Canada stabbing

According to the complaint, while being transported to the hospital for an injury to the arm, Martin said that she "pushed her and grabbed the knife, I didn’t mean to," and, "I don’t know how many times I stabbed her." The complaint also said she admitted to smoking methamphetamine an hour before the stabbing.