This week, the legal proceedings continued for a Wisconsin woman embroiled in a case concerning the fatal stabbing of her fiancé at their residence last year.

Tonia Piontek, aged 46, faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, with additional factors of domestic violence and the use of a deadly weapon, following the death of her 41-year-old fiancé in April 2025. The victim’s identity remains undisclosed to the public. During a court session in Brown County, Wisconsin, local news station WLUK revealed that Piontek’s defense attorney is negotiating a plea deal. However, they await a report from a domestic violence specialist before proceeding further.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by WBAY, an ABC affiliate, Piontek claimed she acted in self-defense during the incident, wielding a knife to protect herself.

Details from a criminal complaint, as reported by CBS affiliate WFRV, indicated that Piontek was the one to alert authorities, dialing 911 at 10 p.m. on April 13, 2025. During the call, she reportedly stated, “I just stabbed my boyfriend, I don’t think he’s okay. Someone needs to get here now!”

Throughout the emergency call, Piontek recounted that a confrontation had erupted between her and her fiancé when he allegedly “came at me.” She explained, “I often keep a knife nearby to protect myself and he’s just got ya know (inaudible), I didn’t know what else to do, he’s a lot bigger than me.”

Piontek also informed the dispatchers that both she and her fiancé had been consuming alcohol that day, leading to an argument which escalated into the alleged stabbing. According to police, a neighbor overheard the altercation, along with the sound of a door slamming and footsteps stomping around the house. This neighbor had reportedly heard frequent arguments between the couple and had previously contacted the authorities on their behalf.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Piontek, who rolled up her sleeves to show them bruising on her forearms. She described the bruises as “just normal for me.” According to the complaint, Piontek told police that she had friends who were lawyers and would not make any comments until she had an attorney.

Police said they found Piontek’s fiance on the floor of the home’s kitchen with a knife in his neck and lying in a pool of blood. While the complaint said the knife was found in the man’s neck, the autopsy stated that he died of a stab wound to the chest. Piontek allegedly told police that she used a “pastry chef knife” in the stabbing.

Throughout her court proceedings, Piontek’s defense attorney argued that his client was a victim of domestic violence. At a previous hearing in December 2025, the attorney said he wanted to provide testimony from a domestic violence expert before a plea agreement was reached.

Piontek is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with modifiers for domestic violence and use of a deadly weapon. She is still in custody at the Brown County Jail, where she is being held on $1 million cash bond. Her next court appearance was scheduled for Aug. 17.