Stephon Dubose is the Durham, North Carolina, man who shot and killed 30-year-old Duke University graduate student Angela Risi and wounded her roommate, Anna Semmes, on the morning of October 2, 2023, after Risi refused his demand for an exclusive relationship. He pleaded guilty in January 2026 to second-degree murder and attempted murder, and on February 19, 2026, a judge sentenced him to 35 to 44 years in prison.
What Happened on Worth Street
Risi and Dubose had been dating for a few months. Their relationship was open but turbulent, and on the morning of the shooting they argued inside a car parked outside Risi’s home on Worth Street in Durham. Dubose demanded they exchange phone passcodes as a gesture of exclusivity. Risi refused. He threw her phone out of the car, and she ran into the house and locked the door.1The News & Observer. Man Sentenced in Murder of Duke Graduate Student
Dubose punched through the glass on the door, reached in to unlock it, and forced his way inside. He chased Risi to the back of the house and fired 11 rounds from a 9-millimeter handgun, striking her eight times. He then entered Semmes’s bedroom and shot her three times.2WRAL. Man Pleads Guilty to Murdering Duke Graduate Student
Police arrived at the home shortly after 7:15 a.m.3CBS 17. Durham Police Investigating Monday Morning Shooting Risi was dead. Semmes, hit in both legs and the abdomen, called 911 herself and was hospitalized for more than a month. She survived but was left permanently disabled and now walks with a cane.4WRAL. Duke Student Murder Plea Deal
Arrest and Statement to Police
Dubose fled to his grandfather’s house and tried to kill himself by stabbing his own legs with knives. Officers found him about 30 minutes after the shooting.5People. Man Admits He Shot Girlfriend Because She Refused Exclusive Relationship When they intervened, he told them he had “shot a female in the face and wasn’t going back to prison and couldn’t live anymore.”6Law & Crime. Man Shot Graduate School Girlfriend 8 Times Reporting on the case did not identify any specific prior convictions.
He was formally arrested on October 5, 2023, and initially charged with murder, attempted first-degree murder, and felony breaking and entering. He was held in the Durham County Jail without bond.7ABC11. Woman Killed in Durham Shooting on Worth Street
Who Angela Risi Was
Risi grew up in San Diego, graduated from Clairemont High School, and earned a double major in English literature and psychology from San Diego State University. She worked for several years at the University of Chicago before starting her second year in Duke University’s Master of Fine Arts program in dance.1The News & Observer. Man Sentenced in Murder of Duke Graduate Student Her father described her as “sociable, feisty and brilliant” and said she was “chasing her artistic dreams.”810News San Diego. Duke Graduate Student, San Diego Native, Killed in North Carolina Shooting
Her family knew Dubose casually, by the nickname “Jimmy.” Her mother had met him and, in the father’s words, “thought that he was a nice enough guy.” He had even helped Risi move into the Worth Street home. Dubose was not a Duke student.9CBS 17. Family, Friends Highlight Life of Duke Grad Student Angela Risi
The Plea Deal
On January 22, 2026, Dubose pleaded guilty in Durham County Superior Court to second-degree murder for killing Risi and to attempted murder for shooting Semmes. The original first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and felony breaking and entering charges were reduced or dropped under the agreement, which spared him the possibility of a life sentence and avoided a trial.10CBS 17. Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of Duke Graduate Student in 2023 Double Shooting
He accepted two consecutive prison terms: 20 to 25 years for the murder and 15 to 19 years for the attempted murder, adding up to a minimum of 35 years and a maximum of 44 years.5People. Man Admits He Shot Girlfriend Because She Refused Exclusive Relationship
Sentencing
Judge John Dunlow accepted the plea and imposed the sentence on February 19, 2026, which would have been Angela Risi’s 33rd birthday. Dubose received credit for about two years already served and was ordered to pay $6,493.47 in restitution to the Risi family for the cost of Angela’s celebration of life.1The News & Observer. Man Sentenced in Murder of Duke Graduate Student
Matt Risi read a victim impact statement for his daughter. “We have lived every day since then in deep sadness,” he told the court, and closed by saying, “The loss is immeasurable, but so is the love left behind. You are always in our hearts.”1The News & Observer. Man Sentenced in Murder of Duke Graduate Student
Dubose addressed the court as well. He apologized to the Risi family, saying, “Y’all didn’t deserve this. I wish this had never happened. I’m going to try to be a better person.” He said he was on drugs at the time of the murder but that he had taken accountability before even having a lawyer “because I knew I was wrong.”11Law & Crime. Man Who Shot Grad School Girlfriend 8 Times Sentenced His defense attorney, Julian Hall, told the court that “toxic, drug-fueled relationships lead to this.” Assistant District Attorney Brooks Stone prosecuted for Durham County.1The News & Observer. Man Sentenced in Murder of Duke Graduate Student
With credit for time already served, Dubose will serve a minimum of roughly 34 more years. He is currently incarcerated in the North Carolina prison system.