The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office has dropped charges against a Bloomington woman accused of stabbing an Asian Indiana University student earlier this year because of her race.
Charges against Billie Davis, 56, were dismissed without prejudice on April 25, four days after she was charged with a federal hate crime in connection with the attack.
Monroe Circuit Court Judge Darcie L. Fawcett ordered the charges dismissed the same day Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Kehr moved to dismiss. Kehr’s motion states the facts are the same in both cases and the local charges should be dismissed so the federal case continues without delay.
Read more: Woman charged with federal hate crime in bus stabbing of IU student
Davis was facing charges including attempted murder, aggravated battery and battery. She’s now charged with willfully causing bodily injury and attempting to kill the victim because of her perceived race and national origin.
Prosecutors have said Davis stabbed the 18-year-old victim several times with a knife Jan. 11 on a Bloomington Transit bus downtown.
She later told police she did it “due to (the victim) being Chinese” and said “It would be one less person to blow up our country,” court documents allege.
Read more: Bloomington woman charged with stabbing 18-year-old says attack racially motivated
Police said Davis and the victim had no contact before the attack.
A jury trial originally scheduled for June in Monroe Circuit Court has been canceled. Davis is scheduled to appear for a federal jury trial on June 26.
If convicted on the federal charge, she could face a life sentence.
