A young woman of 20 years old, Bryanna Barozzini, admitted to an involuntary manslaughter charge on Monday, just as her trial was about to commence. The case pertains to the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old girl, Halia Culbertson, in Columbus, Ohio, in 2023.
Barozzini’s admission of guilt came as a surprise, as the trial was set to begin with opening statements. The incident in question occurred outside a smoke shop on March 26, 2023. Barozzini now faces a potential three-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Initially, Barozzini was charged with both murder and manslaughter. However, on Monday morning, the murder charge was dropped, and the prosecution was prepared to proceed with the manslaughter case. By the afternoon, a deal was struck, with Barozzini pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Her defense attorney is advocating for probation, while the prosecution is pushing for the maximum sentence of three years.
Franklin County Judge Mark Serrott indicated that he is inclined to sentence Barozzini to prison, with the possibility of early release for good behavior.
The court heard on Monday that Culbertson and Barozzini had an ongoing feud. On the night of the incident, Culbertson and her friends were at the 161 Carryout smoke shop in northeast Columbus when Barozzini and a man arrived. A verbal altercation ensued, leading to Culbertson challenging Barozzini to a fight outside the shop.
The confrontation escalated outside the shop, where Culbertson slapped Barozzini. In response, Barozzini pulled out a knife and stabbed Culbertson once in the neck. Culbertson was rushed to the hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Following the incident, Columbus police visited Barozzini’s home in Westerville, where they discovered the clothes she had been wearing during the incident in the washing machine. They also found the knife used in the stabbing hidden in a crawl space. Barozzini was arrested and taken into custody. She has been out on a $750,000 bond since her arrest.
Judge Serrott also mentioned that he would have allowed some of Barozzini’s text messages to be admitted as evidence, which could have undermined her self-defense argument. These messages included threats to Culbertson.
Culbertson was described as a “most loving and outgoing person” in a GoFundMe campaign. Barozzini, a graduate of Westerville North High School, was attending Columbus State at the time of the stabbing.