Police say Keyara McKnight was arrested after John Christian was fatally stabbed outside his workplace on Monroe Road.
CHARLOTTE, NC — A 32-year-old woman has been charged with murder after authorities said her child’s father was fatally stabbed during a confrontation outside a southeast Charlotte business Tuesday evening.
Keyara McKnight was arrested in connection with the death of John Christian following the Aug. 18 confrontation in the 9100 block of Monroe Road, near Sardis Road North. Police and court records cited by local news outlets say Christian worked at a business in the shopping center and was preparing to leave when the dispute began. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers responded shortly after 6:15 p.m. to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at Tint World, 9129 Monroe Road, according to police information reported by WSOC-TV. Investigators said Christian suffered an apparent stabbing injury. Authorities have not publicly released additional medical details about his death.
Court documents cited by WBTV and WSOC-TV say witnesses described a black Honda sedan pulling in front of Christian’s vehicle and blocking him as he was leaving work. Investigators said an argument followed between Christian and McKnight, who authorities identified as the mother of his child. Witnesses reported seeing the two yelling and moving around the vehicles during the confrontation.
According to the court records, witnesses said McKnight slapped Christian and at one point got into the driver’s seat of his vehicle before Christian pulled her out. Authorities allege Christian was stabbed during the confrontation. McKnight then left the shopping center in the Honda, according to the records. The circumstances immediately surrounding the stabbing remain allegations and have not been proven in court.
Investigators used descriptions of the vehicle, street cameras and automated license plate readers to trace a 2003 Honda Accord to McKnight, according to WSOC-TV. Union County sheriff’s deputies later located the vehicle in Indian Trail. Court records say McKnight was sitting in the passenger seat when deputies approached.
McKnight told deputies, “I’m the one you’re looking for,” according to court documents reported by multiple Charlotte news organizations. Investigators said the person driving the vehicle told authorities that McKnight had contacted her and said she needed to turn herself in because she had done something bad. Detectives also reported seeing what they described as blood evidence inside and outside the Honda.
During an interview with detectives, McKnight acknowledged being at the scene and said the confrontation had become physical, according to an arrest affidavit cited by WBTV. Local reports said investigators believe the dispute involved child support. Authorities have not released evidence establishing a broader motive beyond the allegations contained in the court documents.
McKnight was charged with murder, with WSOC-TV reporting the charge as first-degree murder. Records cited by local news organizations showed she was being held without bond following her arrest. A murder charge is an allegation, and McKnight is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The case remains in the court system as investigators continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding Christian’s death. Authorities had not announced additional arrests or publicly released further findings in the case as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated August 20, 2026.