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Tabitha Birdsong, a 40-year-old woman from Kansas City, Missouri, was stabbed to death by her husband, 42-year-old Gene Birdsong in November 2018. Nearly six years later, in February 2023, Gene was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges by a Jackson County jury. Gene received a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole by a Jackson County judge on April 13, 2023.
At the prosecutor's suggestion and the jury's recommendation, Gene was also ordered to serve a sentence of 17 years for the Armed Criminal Action conviction. This was in addition to the mandatory life sentence without parole for beating his wife, Tabitha Birdsong, before stabbing her to death.
Tabitha Birdsong had an order of protection against her husband in her pocket when she was found dead
According to court records, on November 6, 2018, officers responded to a report of a corpse in Roanoke and Madison in Kansas City. They found the body of a woman, later identified as Tabitha Birdsong, near the area of 36th Street and Madison Avenue in Kansas City. The 40-year-old Missouri native suffered head injuries and officers also found an order of protection against her husband, Gene Birdsong, in her pocket.
According to a press release by the Jackson County Prosecutor, just hours before Tabitha Birdsong's death, people had seen and heard the couple together. One witness even noticed Gene wearing pants with blood on them. The witness said that they saw Gene wearing khaki pants that had blood on them with another person referring to his clothing as "blood-soaked." Police also discovered an item of clothing that had blood on it in a room that Gene had been living in.
In February 2023, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker gave a statement about the case and said:
"I'm grateful for this trial team that has carried this case for years, since it began."
KAKE reported that during the interrogation, Gene referred to his actions as self-defense prior to putting an end to the interview and asking for an attorney.
Tabitha Birdsong's husband was convicted of domestic battery
Records show that Gene Birdsong has a history of domestic abuse. The Kansas City Star reported that Gene was convicted of domestic battery in twice Johnson County District Court. He was first convicted in 2009, followed by another conviction in 2010.
Following Gene's conviction for murdering his wife in February 2023, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker released a statement. The prosecutor said that everyone needed to remember Tabitha, who died at the hands of her domestic abuser. Noting that there was nothing they could do to bring her back, Baker said that it was an honor to fight for Tabitha.
In 2019, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker issued a new crime prevention effort, particularly to prevent domestic violence homicides. Tabitha's case was referred to as a motivator for the effort.
A report by The Kansas City Star mentions that in 2015, Tabitha Birdsong filed for an order of protection in Johnson County, stating her concerns regarding her safety.
The Kansas City Star further reported that in 2016, Gene Birdsong was charged in Johnson County with infringing a protection order acquired by Tabitha in Wyandotte County. Gene served 86 days in jail and was discharged from custody roughly five months prior to him killing Tabitha Birdsong.
