A 72-year-old woman is dead after officers responding to a welfare check found her suffering from stab wounds inside a home on the 2200 block of Hackberry Street early Tuesday morning. Stockton police arrested 21-year-old Kevin McKinsley-Harris, who they say was known to the victim, in connection with her death.
According to a Stockton Police Department press release signed by Chief Stanley McFadden, officers responded to the Hackberry Street address at approximately 12:43 am on September 1 after a report of a person stabbed. They found an adult female victim suffering from stab wounds, and medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. Officers then conducted a follow-up investigation, located McKinsley-Harris and took him into custody without incident, while homicide detectives responded and assumed the case, which remains ongoing.
The department's release did not name the victim, but according to ABC10, Stockton police confirmed the victim was a 72-year-old woman and that she and the suspect were known to each other prior to the fatal stabbing. Police have not publicly detailed the exact nature of that relationship.
Family Identifies Victim, Notes Shared Surname
Family members identified the victim as Christita Harris in a Facebook post, noting that she shared a last name with the suspect, 21-year-old Kevin McKinsley-Harris. Police have acknowledged a prior relationship between the two without clarifying whether it was domestic, familial, or something else, a detail that remains unresolved as the investigation continues.
McKinsley-Harris was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on September 1 on suspicion of homicide, per San Joaquin County jail records. Regional outlet SFGATE also reported that the 21-year-old was apprehended by Stockton police on suspicion of fatally stabbing a woman in the early hours of Tuesday, confirming the timeline of his arrest.
Stockton's Mixed Homicide Picture in 2026
This is at least the latest violent death in a city that has seen mixed results this year. Stockton recorded 16 homicides during the first six months of 2026, a slight drop from 18 during the same period in 2025, even after a surge of seven killings in June alone, as Hoodline has previously reported. That figure sits against a longer decline: annual homicides in the city dropped from 56 in 2020 to 33 in 2023, according to Stockton Police Department data.
In February, Police Chief Stanley McFadden announced that total violent crime in Stockton had fallen to a 15-year low in 2025, with shooting-related injuries hitting a 13-year low. Most homicides in the city still involve firearms, but non-firearm fatal attacks continue to occur, as seen in an August investigation into a fatal beating on East Mariposa Road.
What Comes Next in the Case
Felony murder cases investigated by Stockton police are reviewed and prosecuted by the San Joaquin County District Attorney's specialized Homicide Unit at the county courthouse in Stockton. It remains unknown whether the DA's office has formally filed charges against McKinsley-Harris or when he might be arraigned in San Joaquin County Superior Court.
Should prosecutors pursue and secure a murder conviction, California Penal Code Section 187 mandates a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison for first-degree murder, or 15 years to life for second-degree murder. Investigators have not said which charge, if any, they are pursuing, and homicide detectives say their investigation into the Hackberry Street killing remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Stockton Police Department at 209-937-8377 or [email protected].
