TULSA -- A young mother died after police said her husband beat her to death just two days before her birthday.
Kimberly Vo would have turned 22 Monday, but she was killed early Saturday morning. Police said her husband, Derrick Stith, brought her to the hospital that morning and told the staff members that a robber had attacked her.
Detectives, however, said they believe Stith violently beat Vo with an object inside their apartment near E. 47th Place and S. Darlington Avenue. When they served a search warrant at their home, police said they found evidence that the beating happened inside. Detectives would not say what weapon they recovered from the apartment.
Neighbors said they heard the woman screaming at about 3 a.m. Saturday, the time the attack allegedly happened. One neighbor, however, said she did not think much of it at the time because of the high crime in the area.
"I just kind of brushed it off," the woman, who asked not to be identified, said. "I started hearing someone yelling, 'Help me. Please, don't do this. Please stop.' Then, I just heard silence."
Vo recently moved to Tulsa from the Dallas area. Her best friend there described Vo as "caring, loving and a very good person."
Police arrested Stith for first degree murder. He remains in the Tulsa County jail and is being held without bond. He's set to appear in court on December 4.
The victim and the suspect have a young son together. Police said he's now staying with other family members in the Tulsa area.
