A Racine man accused of stabbing the mother of his children, and stabbing and killing her boyfriend made his first appearance in court Friday afternoon by video camera.
39-year-old Lapiate Boone faces multiple serious charges in connection to the incident: first degree intentional homicide, attempted first degree intentional homicide, battery, disorderly conduct, mayhem and stalking. Most of the charges also carry domestic abuse assessments.
The Court Commissioner set bond at $1 million. If released he can’t have contact with the victim, victims’ families including his children, or possess a weapon. He’ll be back in court for his preliminary hearing June 5.
Court records show Wednesday night the mother of Boone’s children, 36-year-old Joy Reid went to his place on North Bay Drive to see her two kids.
Boone and Reid quickly got into an argument. The criminal complaint describes, “Boone became angry and stabbed [Reid] in the back of her leg with a kitchen knife.”
According to court documents, one of her kids drove her to the hospital, but when she was released, she and her current boyfriend 35-year-old Gene Smith went back to the house to get her children’s things.
Boone wasn’t home but soon returned, and struck Reid and Smith “with a large pole in the living room,” before stabbing them with a knife.
Boone fled, leaving Smith “badly wounded in his chest area and his upper left thigh and head,” while Reid “was slashed across her face” and had additional injuries to her right arm and torso. Smith died at the scene.
Reid is listed in stable but critical condition at Froedtert Hospital.
Court records also reveal Boone has a past history of domestic violence.
Last September, Reid was granted a restraining order against Boone, effective until fall 2020.
The documents explains that he allegedly broke the order two months later in November.
As Reid was leaving a friend’s house, Boone got into her car, “had a knife in his hand and told her ‘I’m going to kill you.’”
Reid told a Racine police officer Boone would do whatever he could to get back together with her. While speaking with Reid, the officer “observed a golf ball sized lump on the right side of her forehead.”
Friday in court, charges of battery and disorderly conduct were also filed in connection to him allegedly breaking the restraining order back in November.
Boone was found guilty of a forfeiture for disorderly conduct in February 2019.
Thursday’s incident may be the second domestic violence-related homicide in Racine in the past few weeks.
Traci Lang of the Women’s Resource Center wants people who may be in a domestic situation to know help is out there, and that sometimes a restraining order isn’t enough.
They offer shelter, legal resources and safety planning.
“It’s heartbreaking because we work very diligently hoping to get our word out that we are here, we are available,” Lang said. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of if someone else is treating you poorly. Those are their poor choices. You still deserve all of the help in the world.”
If you know someone who may be in a violent relationship, call the center’s hotline at 262-633-3233.
