Courtney Clenney, the American woman convicted over the death of Nigerian-American Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Obumseli, has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in Miami, Florida.
Clenney, 30, entered a guilty plea to manslaughter with a deadly weapon on Monday in connection with Obumseli’s death on April 3, 2022. She was initially charged with second-degree murder after Obumseli, 27, died during a domestic dispute at the couple’s apartment in Miami’s Edgewater neighbourhood.
Under the plea agreement, Clenney will receive credit for the nearly four years she has already spent in custody since her arrest in August 2022. She is therefore expected to serve roughly two more years in prison before completing five years of probation.
As part of the conditions of her release, Clenney will be required to undergo mental health and substance abuse evaluations and follow any recommended treatment.
Prosecutors have also said they will oppose any attempt by Clenney to make money from Obumseli’s death. Assistant State Attorney Shawn Abuhoff told the court that authorities did not believe anyone should financially benefit from the killing.
Obumseli’s family told the court that his death had caused an enduring loss that no prison sentence could reverse. His mother said no sentence or plea could bring her son back, while a family representative described him as someone who “loved deeply.”
The case had remained contentious since Obumseli’s death, with Clenney maintaining that she acted in self-defence. Prosecutors, however, argued that there was evidence of violence within the relationship. The case also attracted widespread attention because of disputes over the couple’s history and social media activity.
Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said the plea agreement gave Obumseli’s family the acknowledgement of responsibility they had sought. She said the agreement was reached in consultation with and with the approval of the family.
Obumseli, who was from the Dallas-Plano area of Texas, attended Plano East High School and Texas Tech University before moving to Miami. His family had also pursued a civil lawsuit connected to his death, while the criminal proceedings continued for more than four years before Clenney’s guilty plea.
