Amherst man sentenced for fatally stabbing estranged girlfriend
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — An Amherst man was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for fatally stabbing his estranged live-in girlfriend, the Erie County District Attorney's Office said.
Kirk F. Bielanin, 55, stabbed his estranged girlfriend, 60-year-old Diane Bird, once in the chest inside her Amherst home in May 2022, the DA's office said. He pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter on Nov. 20, a week before his scheduled non-jury trial.
Police found Bielanin upstairs in Bird's home, where he had previously lived, after one of Bird's co-workers went to the home to check on her after the 60-year-old did not show up for work. He was transported to Erie County Medical Center where he was treated for a stab wound to his chest and a cut on his left wrist.
Bielanin was sentenced to five years of post-release supervision to follow the 12-year prison term.
Justin McMullen is a Western New York native who joined the News 4 team in 2023. You can read more of his work here.