Argument preceded fatal stabbing of woman in Homewood, police say

By Megan Guza / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A fight between friends escalated to a deadly stabbing early Monday morning in Pittsburgh’s Homewood neighborhood, according to police.

An anonymous 911 call reporting that “one of the girls is chasing the other one with a knife” sent officers to the 6800 block of Lyric Street about 4:45 a.m. First responders arrived and found 27-year-old Raneisha Scott stabbed to death inside her home.

A witness reported hearing arguing outside around 4:30 a.m. and saw 21-year-old Maurissa Plummer chasing Ms. Scott with a knife, according to the criminal complaint against Ms. Plummer. A few minutes later, the witness heard Ms. Scott say “you stabbed me,” to which Ms. Plummer allegedly replied, “I did.”

Security footage from the apartment where Ms. Plummer was staying — about 250 feet from the Lyric Street home — captured Ms. Plummer before and after the stabbing, according to the complaint. In the moments after the stabbing, police said, the footage captures Ms. Plummer saying, “I just used a pocket knife, I don’t give a [expletive],” according to the complaint. A different voice says, “You’re going to jail.”

Dozens of Ms. Scott’s family members arrived at the scene and told investigators that Ms. Plummer was still in the nearby apartment, posting to social media, authorities said. As officers drove Ms. Plummer to police headquarters for questioning, she allegedly asked if they had watched the surveillance footage of the incident.

Multiple witnesses reported hearing someone shout, “drop the knife,” according to the complaint, and one said he heard a male voice say, “We’re family, guys, don’t do this.” It was not clear if the victim and suspect were related.

Ms. Plummer is charged with a single count of homicide. Court records did not list an attorney Tuesday morning. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.