Ark City stabbing suspect Sean M. Boydston is now facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder and had his bond amount increased, during a first court appearance Thursday afternoon.
Boydston, 54, appeared via Zoom before Cowley County Dist. Court Judge Christopher Smith. Bond was raised from $100,000 to $250,000 as a result of the elevated charge.
Boydston had been initially booked into jail on an attempted second-degree murder charge. Evidence collected during the investigation led prosecutors to seek attempted first-degree, county attorney Larry Schwartz said.
Thus far, Boydston has not hired an attorney, though he requested additional time to do so. He was given until next Thursday, at which time he would be appointed an attorney if he could not find one on his own.
Family of Boydston appear to be working to arrange bond. He would be required to wear an ankle monitor and submit to other conditions, should bond be posted.
On Sunday, a 40-year-old woman was hospitalized following an incident in the 1200 block of W. Oklahoma in Ark City. Boydston was arrested not long after police began investigating.
The woman sustained multiple stab wounds, including injuries to her neck. She was hospitalized and has since been released. She is expected to make a full recovery. A second charge of domestic battery has been filed against Boydston in regard to another person that was involved in the incident.
In 2001, he was convicted of sex crimes involving a victim under 14 in Reno County.
Boydston is required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He was currently living at 1201 W. Oklahoma, according to publicly available registration records.
