Woman accused of stabbing boyfriend, cutting off his penis amid paternity dispute pleads not guilty by reason of insanity
08/18/2026 2:32 pm PDT
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (TCN) -- A 33-year-old woman has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to second-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing and mutilation of her boyfriend in 2024.
On May 14, 2024, police responded to a call regarding an unresponsive man at a hotel, WKRC reported at the time. Later identified as 38-year-old Dustin Nalls, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police interviewed his girlfriend, Shenting Guo, who said she was pregnant. In her interview, she alleged that she stabbed Nalls during an argument about the paternity of her child and alleged that she cut off his penis. She stated that she purchased rubbing alcohol, antibiotics, and beer at a local supermarket afterward; according to an arrest affidavit obtained by WKRC, Guo gave Nalls ibuprofen but his eyes quickly lost life.
Guo was charged with one count of second-degree murder in the heat of passion and one count of domestic violence and was booked into jail on $1 million bond, according to WKRC.
The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports that after Guo was arrested, she underwent several competency evaluations and was taken to a mental health hospital in November 2025, where she remained on a treatment waiting list for multiple months.
On Aug. 14, Guo pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The Daily Sentinel reports that at her hearing, Guo appeared not to understand the judge when he was explaining the ramifications of her plea. She reportedly said, “Wait, I’m all confused. What does that all mean?I’m sorry, it was hard for me to understand because I don’t know.”
The Daily Sentinel reports that the judge explained himself again and eventually accepted the guilty plea. A trial date will be set after Guo undergoes a sanity evaluation.
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