A Columbia woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for stabbing a man in 2025, closing out a case that began when police found her at a residence where the victim's parent reportedly walked in on a bloody scene. Brianna Boone, now facing decades behind bars, pleaded guilty in June to first-degree domestic assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon.
According to ABC 17 News, the Columbia Police Department arrested Boone, 35, on February 23, 2025, in connection with the stabbing. Court documents cited in previous reporting state that the victim called one of his parents the night of the attack to say he had been stabbed, and that the parent then went to Boone's residence and saw her on top of the victim with blood on the floor. Boone allegedly admitted she had tried to kill the man following an argument, per that same previous reporting.
Boone entered her guilty plea on June 15, and on Monday she was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the station reports. The case was handled through Missouri's 13th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers Boone County and is the venue where all felony domestic assault cases originating in Columbia are prosecuted, according to Boone County Government.
Why the Sentence Carries a Long Mandatory Floor
Boone's lead charge, first-degree domestic assault, is classified under Missouri Revised Statutes § 565.072 as a Class B felony carrying 5 to 15 years, but the charge escalates to a Class A felony punishable by 10 to 30 years or life in prison when serious physical injury is inflicted, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Because first-degree domestic assault is also designated a “dangerous felony” under Missouri Revised Statutes §§ 556.061 and 558.019, Boone must serve a mandatory minimum of 85% of her sentence before she becomes eligible for parole — meaning at least 21.25 years of her 25-year term.
The armed criminal action count adds another layer to her sentence. Under state law, a conviction for armed criminal action carries an unclassified felony sentence of at least three years that must run consecutively, not concurrently, with the sentence for the underlying felony, per the Missouri Revisor of Statutes. That same statute bars anyone convicted of armed criminal action from probation, parole, conditional release or a suspended sentence during that mandatory three-year term.
No Standalone Attempted Murder Charge in Missouri
Missouri's criminal code does not maintain a separate statutory offense for attempted murder, which is why prosecutors pursued the first-degree domestic assault charge instead, even amid the allegation that Boone stated an intent to kill, according to Rose Legal Services. In Missouri, first-degree domestic assault effectively functions as the state's equivalent charge for severe, non-fatal violent attacks.
Domestic assault prosecutions in Missouri belong to the state once law enforcement gets involved, meaning prosecutors retain full authority to pursue charges and negotiate plea deals regardless of what a victim or family wants, per the Kissell Law Group. A guilty plea like Boone's waives a defendant's right to a jury trial in exchange for a negotiated sentence or charge reduction agreed to by both sides, though it still requires final approval from the presiding judge.
It remains unclear whether Boone's 25-year sentence was the product of a negotiated plea agreement with the Boone County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and how the 25 years are divided among her three counts. The victim's current physical recovery status has also not been publicly detailed.
Resources for Domestic Violence Survivors in Boone County
Victims and families in Columbia experiencing domestic violence can access emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline and confidential counseling through True North of Columbia, a shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
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