An OnlyFans model, with a following of millions of fans, has been charged with the murder of her African boyfriend. The springtime killing made international headlines and caused social media outrage after law enforcement did not immediately tag her as criminally culpable in his death.
On Social media influencer Courtney Clenney has been charged with second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in the death of Christian “Toby” Obumseli, a 27-year-old in Miami on Apr. 3. She is accused of stabbing her romantic partner to death.
She was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals Service, under the leadership of United States Marshal Gadyaces Serralta, on Wednesday, Aug. 10, in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, and is being held at the East Hawaii Detention Center and waiting for her initial court appearance in Hilo District Court.
The suspect will be extradited to Miami-Dade County, and once she is there she will face trial, according to Miami Herald.
Clenney’s defense attorney, Frank Prieto, confirmed her arrest before sharing the 26-year-old was on the island attending a rehabilitation facility for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Prieto said, “I’m completely shocked, especially since we were cooperating with the investigation and offered to voluntarily surrender her if she were charged.”
“We look forward to clearing her name in court,” he added. Prieto says his client acted in self-defense.
However, shortly after that narrative emerged days after the killing, friends, and family of Obumseli vehemently disputed her defense and even spoke about how violent she had been over their two-year relationship to him.
Karen Egbuna, a cousin of Obumseli, said, “We have no cause to believe that this was a case of self-defense. Toby was raised by a very strong family with strong morals, and strong values, he does not come from that,” CBS News reported.
The young woman’s arrest comes four months after Obumseli’s brutal death and after an extensive investigation by prosecutors and Miami police homicide detectives. Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales said it has taken them a long time to arrest Clenney because they wanted to make sure their case against her was tight.
Morales noted “You only get one shot. You want to get it right.” Now, believing they have a strong case, the agency and prosecutor presented their findings to the public.
At a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 11, State Attorney for Miami-Dade County Katherine Fernandez Rundle said her findings align with the claims of the deceased’s loved ones, describing the relationship as “extremely tempestuous and combative.”
The defense lawyer does not dispute this saying, “It was clearly a toxic relationship, [they] had their ups and downs and, unfortunately, it culminated with his death.”
Her discovery also included statements from the building management of the apartment building where Clenney and Obumseli lived. Those officials documented several instances of the couple arguing loudly, saying they were gearing up to evict the duo before the tragic death, NBC News reports. In a newly released video, Clenney and Obumseli are seen getting into an elevator. Once inside, Clenney is seen violently hitting Obumseli in his face and on his head several times.
Law enforcement believes, that during the last week of March, Clenney kicked Obumseli out of their apartment. Days before the fatal stabbing, the two had reconciled.
Rundle stated it is believed Obumseli was stabbed between 4:33 p.m. and 4:57 p.m. after he returned from going out at 1:17 p.m. The detectives were able to make a timeline based on key fobs that recorded his coming and going. He came back into his apartment at 4:32 p.m. and instantly went into conflict.
The conflict was so loud and disturbing, that neighbors called the building security, who in turn called the police at 4:46 p.m.
Clenney’s phone records indicated that she did not call the police but did phone her mother twice within this timeline. She called law enforcement at 4:57 p.m.
Rundle said, “On that 911 call Christian can be heard in the background. We repeatedly say that he was saying, and he was losing feeling and his arm. Defendant Clenney is also heard saying, ‘I’m so sorry.'”
Police received a statement from Clenney’s mother during their investigation, stating she heard her daughter, while on the phone, yelling at Obumseli for “lying” and telling him to leave the premises.
The mother never mentioned Clenney was being attacked while she was on either of the calls.
Investigators note the mother told them she never discussed Obumseli’s death with Clenney, but the warrant stated at 5:25 p.m. the millennial received a text message from “mom” on her phone that contained “self-defense” in it and instructions to secure a lawyer before speaking to a detective.
Clenney also recalled the day’s events, saying the two were arguing and then after it ended he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her into the wall.
As the state attorney retold Clenney’s account of the killing, she said, “Then she says he threw her to the ground but allowed her to get up and it was at that point that Clenney went to a kitchen area and got the knife as Christian sort of approached her.”
“She threw the knife at him from a distance that she’s estimated to be about 10 feet.”
This does not reconcile with the medical examiner’s report. It states the Black man’s wound occurred from a “forceful downward thrust.”
Obumseli succumbed to injuries from a three-inch deep stab puncture to the chest.
“The violent and toxic two-year relationship of Christian Obumseli and Courtney Clenney did not have to end in tragedy with Christian’s murder as a victim of domestic violence,” Rundle remarked.
The boyfriend’s family has secured legal representation and said in the press conference, the Obumseli family “always believed that with a thorough and fair investigation, this day would come to reality.”
Without directly naming him as a victim of domestic violence, Rundle’s department mentioned on Facebook after the press conference that “men are often unwilling to come forward as victims of domestic violence or intimate violence, as it is sometimes called.”
“The sequence of domestic violence events can be broken, but a first step must be taken. If anyone is caught in a dangerous domestic violence situation, please know that there is a strong safety net of resources and shelters available,” the caption continued. “If you are in an emergency situation, call 911. You may also call my Domestic Violence Resource line, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 305 547-0140. We can and want to help.”
Clenney’s arrest warrant has been sealed, according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
