A Minnesota woman is now facing the prospect of a 40-year prison sentence following a deadly altercation with her boyfriend.

According to court records reviewed by Oxygen, 23-year-old Katerina Ivanovna Markiv has been charged in connection with the death of 25-year-old Quinton McKay Hughes.

In the early hours of December 8, officers from the St. Cloud police department responded to a call about a “knife complaint” at a local residence. Upon arrival, they found Hughes suffering from fatal stab wounds. Before succumbing to his injuries, Hughes informed dispatchers that the stabbing occurred after a “minor disagreement” with Markiv, as detailed in the criminal complaint.

The complaint filed by the Stearns County District Court 7th Judicial District states, “Law enforcement immediately began lifesaving efforts on [Hughes]. Although officers eventually could not detect a pulse, they continued CPR until paramedics arrived. At 4:36 a.m., [Hughes] was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Markiv faces two counts of second-degree murder, with each charge carrying a potential 40-year prison term.

During questioning, Markiv explained to investigators that the conflict arose because Hughes was not interested in “having fun,” which she later clarified meant he was not interested in engaging in sexual activity. She also mentioned that they started dating in October and were also colleagues.

At multiple points, Markiv allegedly claimed to law enforcement that the stabbing was accidental, saying she tried to only “scratch” Hughes in response to him interrupting her and that she did not want him to die. 

Markiv allegedly added that she has anger issues and was enraged during their argument (following hours of admitted alcohol use), which ended with her allegedly stabbing Hughes with what police described as an eight-inch “boning style knife.” 

An attorney for Markiv could not be located for additional comment. 

Law enforcement later spoke with two individuals who worked at the same location with Marvik and Hughes. One of them told investigators that Markiv was known to get mad about certain things, but at the same time “never thought something like this would happen.” 

While in custody, Markiv allegedly told police that Hughes had never abused or assaulted her. 

She has a court hearing set for Dec. 17.