Fort Worth woman kills uncle after he told her to start cooking: affidavit

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Ashley Marie Siebenaller, 32 (Source: Tarrant County Jail)

FORT WORTH, Texas - A woman has been arrested and charged with murder for the stabbing death of her uncle after a dispute the day after Christmas, according to court records released Monday.

Fort Worth murder the day after Christmas

Ashley Marie Siebenaller, 32, is accused of killing 64-year-old Tony Vernon Graham on Dec. 26, 2025. Fort Worth police announced the arrest Monday.

Timeline:

Officers were called to a home in the 3400 block of Wade Avenue at 12:18 p.m. on a stabbing call. When they arrived, they found Graham in the living room with a single stab wound to the chest. He died at the scene at 12:46 p.m.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Siebenaller and Graham lived together in the living room of the home, which was being leased by another person who rented out spaces to several people.

Witnesses told investigators they heard Siebenaller and Graham arguing before finding Graham on the floor. One witness reported finding a bloody knife on a couch. Siebenaller was also sitting on the couch. The witness told police they moved the knife to a table.

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The suspect tried to get witnesses to call 911 before the shooting and after she was alleged to have been assaulted, police said.

When the police arrived, they tried to speak with Siebenaller, but she was not communicating clearly, the affidavit showed. The officer communicated with her by writing information down. Police believed she was non-verbal. In her writing, she said she did not know what happened to her uncle and denied stabbing him.

During a follow-up interview on Dec. 30, the police officer reported that Siebenaller appeared able to communicate much more clearly than before. She initially denied any involvement, but later admitted to the stabbing, according to what the officer noted in the affidavit. 

Siebenaller told detectives she was upset because Graham had locked her out of the house earlier that day and had "pissed her off" by telling her she needed to start cooking. While she claimed Graham had stabbed her in the mouth first, investigators noted they did not see any injuries on her during their interviews.

Then on Jan. 2, Fort Worth Police received a message from a roommate in the home saying Siebenaller was standing outside their bedroom door holding a knife and was concerned for everyone's safety.

A warrant for Siebenaller's arrest was signed on Jan. 3, 2026. Siebenaller was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on Jan. 5 where she is facing a charge of murder. Her bail has not been set.