Clifford Bolden, 38, was sentenced last week to 35 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the 2011 stabbing death of his wife, Hope Taylor.
Bolden, of 655 E. Gunderson in Carol Stream, appeared in court Friday morning where he entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill to one count of first-degree murder in front of Judge Dan Guerin, according to a DuPage County State's Attorney's Office press release.
On Oct. 19, around 5:30 a.m., Bolden and Taylor got into a verbal argument. Following the argument, Bolden left the couple’s apartment and returned later that morning.
Upon his return, the argument ensued and turned violent when Bolden stabbed his wife in the chest and head with what is believed to be a kitchen knife, according to the news release. After the incident, Bolden called 911 and was subsequently taken into custody.
Taylor was transported to a local hospital for treatment. On November 21, 2011, Taylor died.
“Unfortunately, Hope Taylor never recovered from the injuries she sustained on October 19, 2011. People have to learn that violence is never the answer. If you find yourself in a situation that could potentially turn violent, walk away and allow yourself some time to cool off," Berlin said. "Perhaps if Mr. Bolden had walked away that morning and not returned until after he had calmed down, Hope Taylor would still be alive today and not a victim of Domestic Violence. I would like to thank the Carol Stream Police Department as well as Assistant State’s Attorney Tim Diamond and Mike Pawl for their efforts on this sad case.”
Bolden will be required to serve all of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Source: DuPage County State's Attorney press release
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
