An Illinois woman was handed a 12-year prison sentence for stabbing her former Wendy’s coworker in the head, causing the employee to bleed uncontrollably inside the restaurant, prosecutors said.
The employee survived Tichina Marshall’s attack, which left them with a 3-centimeter deep stab wound on their head and a skull fracture, according to the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Marshall, 29, pleaded guilty on Thursday, September 24, to first-degree attempted murder in connection with the incident, the attorney’s office said in a news release issued the next day.
Following her guilty plea, judge Karen E. Wall sentenced her to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of mandatory supervised release. Marshall is required to serve 85 percent of her sentence, according to prosecutors.
“I would like to thank the victim for cooperating with our office throughout the criminal justice process,” Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy said in a statement. “While no sentence can undo the lasting effects caused by this defendant, this prison sentence reflects the violent nature of this attack and the devastating injuries suffered by the victim.”
About a month before the stabbing, Marshall threatened to kill her coworker while they worked together at a now-former Wendy’s location in Danville, according to prosecutors.
On May 26, 2025, Danville police officers were called to the restaurant, where they found the employee “laying on the floor, bleeding uncontrollably, and nearly unconscious” after Marshall stabbed them in the head, the state’s attorney’s office said in the news release.
Surveillance footage showed Marshall had entered an office area while armed with a knife and attacked the employee, who had been talking to a manager.
She was captured telling the victim “I am going to kill you,” before hitting them in the face and stabbing them with the knife, according to prosecutors.
Prior to Marshall’s guilty plea, the case was set to go to trial on October 13, per WCIA.
In addition to first-degree murder, Marshall was facing one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The charge was dropped as part of her plea agreement, per the TV station.
“We are grateful to the Danville Police Department and their Criminal Investigations Division for their thorough work in this case,” Lacy said. “Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims of violent crime and holding offenders accountable for their actions.”
Danville is located near the border of Indiana, about a 90-mile drive northwest from Indianapolis.
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