Man sentenced to roughly 26 years in prison for June 2019 north Topeka stabbing

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Friday the sentencing of man charged in relation to a 2019 domestic incident in which he attempted to kill his estranged wife.

On May 31, 2019, officers responded to a 911 call at 112 NW Redbud Cir. Apt. 7. Christopher D. Gustin’s now ex-wife made the call after she was stabbed in the neck three times and stabbed several more times in the hand as she attempted to protect herself and her kids.

Kagay said evidence showed that the victim had filed for divorce in June of 2018. Gustin had threatened to kill her and said he would orphan the kids before letting her leave him. Their divorce was set to be final on June 4, 2019, but on May 31, the victim stopped at Gustin’s apartment to pick up her mail. That’s when he began hitting her and knocked her to the floor as she was holding both kids. She tried to go to the front door when he went to another room, grabbed a knife and began stabbing her in the neck from behind.

After she dropped both kids, he held her in the apartment for about 30 minutes before she was able to reach her phone to call 911 and escape from the apartment, according to Kagay.

When officers arrived, they found her and the kids walking in the parking lot. Her clothes were soaked with blood and she was suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Officers found Gustin in the apartment where he barricaded himself for around two hours before peacefully surrendering. He was taken into custody and treated for self-inflicted wounds before being taken to jail.

Kagay initially charged him with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and two counts of aggravated endangering of a child. Kagay said after a preliminary hearing on Aug. 8, 2019, he enhanced the first charge to attempted first-degree murder.

A Shawnee County jury found Gustin guilty on all four counts in March.

On Thursday, Kagay announced Gustin was sentenced to the following:

• 155 months for attempted first degree murder
• 147 months for aggravated kidnapping
• 6 months each for two counts of aggravated endangering of a child

Kagay said the court imposed each sentence to run consecutively, for a total sentence of 314 months (roughly 26 years). Gustin will also be required to register as a violent offender for the rest of his life.