A 36-year-old Michigan woman has been charged with murder after authorities say she fatally stabbed her boyfriend multiple times inside his home before calling another person and repeatedly saying, “I think I killed him.”
Brittany Leigh Groat, 36, is charged with open murder in the death of Robert Walter Larsen, 50, according to court records.
Troopers Responded After Calls Reporting a Confession
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Michigan State Police, troopers were dispatched at approximately 9:16 p.m. on July 24 to a residence on West Sturtevant Avenue in Comstock Township, Michigan.
Authorities said several 911 callers reported that Groat had contacted them around 9 p.m. and stated that she had killed her boyfriend.
Investigators said part of the phone conversation was recorded. After providing the address of the residence, Groat allegedly repeated:
“I think I killed him, I think I killed him.”
Victim Found Dead on Staircase
When troopers entered the home, they found Larsen lying dead on a staircase.
According to investigators, the residence contained large amounts of blood, and bloody footprints were visible throughout the home and extending into the garage.
The condition of the residence led investigators to begin processing the scene as a homicide investigation.
Surveillance Footage Helped Build Timeline
Police used surveillance video and witness statements to reconstruct the events leading up to the discovery.
According to the affidavit, Larsen’s vehicle left the residence at approximately 7:11 p.m.
Deputies later located the vehicle on Kings Highway, where they found Groat alone in the driver’s seat.
Authorities said she was wearing a white shirt, jean shorts, and black-and-white Converse shoes, all of which allegedly had bloodstains covering them.
Groat Initially Denied Killing Larsen
After waiving her Miranda rights, Groat agreed to speak with investigators.
According to police, she denied knowing how blood got on her clothing and denied harming Larsen.
She acknowledged that she and Larsen were in a romantic relationship and that she had been living at his home for several weeks.
However, when detectives asked what had happened before she left the residence, she allegedly replied that she did not remember.
Claimed Boyfriend Attacked Her
Later during the interview, Groat reportedly told investigators that Larsen had cut her with a folding knife while she was trying to leave the home.
She claimed that after she exited the residence, Larsen went back inside.
According to the affidavit, Groat also stated that only she and Larsen were inside the house at the time of the incident.
Knife and Baseball Bat Recovered
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators searched the residence.
Police recovered a folding knife and a baseball bat lying near Larsen’s body on the staircase and landing.
Investigators initially observed at least six stab wounds on the front of Larsen’s body, several of them concentrated around his upper chest and neck.
Autopsy Found 10 Stab Wounds
An autopsy performed two days later documented that Larsen had suffered 10 stab wounds along with multiple lacerations.
The medical examiner concluded that Larsen died from blood loss caused by the stab wounds and ruled the death a homicide.
Bond Denied
Groat was arraigned Monday in Kalamazoo County’s 8th District Court.
A judge ordered that she be held without bond while the case proceeds.
Court records show her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5.
The investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against Groat are contained in charging documents and have not been proven in court. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
