Brockton woman charged with murder in boyfriend's stabbing

BROCKTON, Mass. — A woman was charged with the stabbing death of her boyfriend in Brockton Friday, according to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office.

Kirsten Smith, 53, is charged with murdering 52-year-old Scott Benoit.

Benoit was found stabbed to death in a home on Maguire Road in Brockton Friday afternoon. Police say Smith and Benoit lived together in the house.

Benoit was found with a stab wound to the chest and pronounced dead on scene.

Police say investigators found a knife and other evidence at the scene, where they interviewed Smith before charging her with murder Friday night.

MORE: Deadly stabbing not the first time police have been to Brockton home

Boston 25 News has learned Benoit leaves behind five children. His oldest daughter, Jessica Benoit, said she and her siblings are shocked at the incident because of how involved Smith has been in their lives.

“She was great, I loved her. I think what she is going through got the best of her,” said Jessica.

Both family and friends of Benoit tell us Smith has openly struggled with alcoholism and they believe there’s a chance she wasn’t thinking straight when this happened.

Police have not confirmed that and have not identified a motive.

Neighbors describe Smith visibly unraveling and they said police even had to be called to the area about a month ago when she randomly started walking into people’s homes.

Jessica says her father, a graduate of Taunton High School, was once an addictions counselor and had also worked on the support staff at an area homeless shelter before starting J&S Pool Service with her brother Justin. She says they ran the company out of the Maguire Road home, with Smith’s help.

“He always made it a point to be a great father and I want him to know he was a great father. He was loved very, very much,” said Jessica.

Smith is being held on bail and will be arraigned on the murder charge Monday.

Cox Media Group