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The woman, solely identified as the paramour of Terance M. Myers Sr., "was reasonable in her belief that she was in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury due to Myers’ actions of advancing and lunging towards her with a knife," Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said.
Officers responding to a home in the 4300 block of Hillside Road in Exeter Township on Dec. 14, 2020, found 35-year-old Myers lying on the second-floor bathroom floor, unresponsive and bleeding from the chest, authorities said.
EMS confirmed he was dead at the scene and had suffered a penetrating stab wound to the left side of his chest, authorities said.
A joint investigation launched by Berks County Detectives and the Exeter Police Department learned that Myers and his live-in paramour had a verbal disagreement in their second-floor bedroom, the DA's office said.
It turned physical when Myers grabbed a knife and bat. The woman was able to take the knife from him and run into the walk-in closet, authorities said.
Then, Myers opened the closet door, and armed with another knife, he lunged at her. In response, the woman attempted to fend him off, and stabbed him, the DA's office said.
Myers was able to head back to the master bedroom but fell to the floor. The woman administered first aid and CPR to no avail, authorities said.
Myers was pronounced dead by a Berks County Deputy Coroner Deputy and taken to Reading Hospital/Tower Health by EMS.
An autopsy conducted on Myers by Forensic Pathologist Doctor Supriya Kuruvilla on Dec. 15, 2020, found that his cause of death was due to a single stab wound to the left side of his chest, authorities said.
Additionally, a toxicology report received on Jan. 6 from Penn State Health/St. Joseph indicated that Myers had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .384 percent, the DA's office said.
Myers’ BAC was over four times the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania.
Also, traces of THC were also present in his system, authorities said.
“While it is unfortunate that a life was lost, the action taken by the paramour involved was to protect herself,” Adams said.
Pennsylvania Law allows all persons to use deadly force in an act of self-defense if the person reasonably believed that he/she faced an unlawful interference that created a risk of death or serious bodily harm. If, as here, a person’s actions are privileged under the law of self-defense they cannot be convicted of any crime.
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