February 24, 2022
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Nydira Smith, of Philadelphia, has been charged with murder and related offenses for allegedly stabbing Jawine Evans to death and wounding two other Lincoln University students during an on-campus fight.
A Philadelphia woman is facing murder charges for allegedly stabbing three students at Lincoln University earlier this month. One of them, Jawine Evans, died.
Nydira Smith, 39, stabbed the students after a fight broke out between several students on the college campus, Chester County District Attorney Deborah Ryan said Thursday. Smith is the sister of one of the students involved in the fight.
"This is a parent's worst nightmare," Ryan said. "This senseless and tragic incident is devastating to not only the families of the victims but the entire Lincoln University community — students staff, and parents — who believed their college campus was a safe place."
On Feb. 16, Lincoln University police responded to the fight at the Thurgood Marshall Living and Learning Center at 9:14 p.m. They found Evans, 21, on the grass outside with a knife wound to his neck, and two other students, both 22, with stab wounds.
Paramedics pronounced Evans dead at the scene. The other two students were transported to Christiana Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Chester County Detectives determined the fight happened on the first floor of the dormitory. Investigators recovered a video of the incident, in which Evans can be heard shouting, "she stabbed me," and clutching the right side of his neck, the D.A.'s Office said.
The video was later shared with CBS Philly. At the time, none of the students had been identified.
Jawine Evans
"My husband and I are devastated over the loss of our beloved son Jawine," said Beverly Evans in a statement released by the family's attorney. "We thought that he would be safe on the campus of Lincoln University, and never dreamed such a terrible thing could happen there. We're stunned at the lax university security, but extremely grateful to Chester County law enforcement for catching Jawine's killer, and for D.A. Ryan's comments showing she is taking a strong public stand to bring his killer to justice."
Additional surveillance footage provided to the Chester County District Attorney's Office showed a maroon Infiniti registered to Smith arriving to the scene at 9:07 p.m. and leaving at 9:22 p.m.
Investigators later found human blood inside the car, the D.A.'s Office said. During a search of a home on the 7100 block of Ardleigh Street in Philadelphia, investigators found blood-stained clothing consistent with the clothes Smith was seen wearing on the video and a set of knives that had one missing.
Evans was set to graduate from Lincoln University in May, close to his 22nd birthday, the Inquirer reported. A funeral service will be held at The Met Philadelphia on Friday.
Smith has been charged with first degree murder, third degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, aggravated assault and related offenses. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 8.
Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to call Detective John DiBattista at (610) 344-6866.
