Fiancee stays silent in man's stabbing death

LARGO -- Police say Antoinette Abidin called 911 Sunday morning to report that something had happened to her fiance.

When authorities arrived at his condo at 2750 East Bay Drive, they found him dead in a bedroom with multiple stab wounds to his abdomen.

Abidin, 37, had dried blood on her palms and her knee, police reports say. But when police tried to talk to her about what happened, Abidin told them she was leaving, according to the reports.

"She called us out there, we get there and her boyfriend is dead," said Largo police Detective Keith Barton. "And she's like, 'I'm not talking to you, I'm going, I'm leaving.' She's got information about this crime, and she's refusing to give it to us."

So police arrested her on an obstruction charge. She was being held at the Pinellas County Jail Monday evening in lieu of $150 bail.

No charges had been filed Monday in the death of her fiance, Kenneth W. McElhiney, 62.

Barton said the death was a homicide, though a motive has not been established.

He said three people had been with McElhiney in his condo on Saturday night, including Abidin. Detectives have identified the other two people, but Barton declined to name them Monday.

"I think it's probably one of the three that was with him that night" who killed him, Barton said. "But we can't rule anything out."

Barton said McElhiney and his visitors were drinking Saturday night and listening to music, which neighbors said was loud.

When police arrived the next morning, Abidin was "intoxicated and extremely uncooperative." She has been arrested in Pinellas County on charges of cocaine possession, prostitution and domestic battery, court records show.

McElhiney has a criminal record in Pinellas County that included charges of writing worthless checks, drunken driving, violation of probation, failing to appear for court and driving with a suspended license.

Barton said investigators weren't sure whether anything was missing from the condo. Forensic specialists were at the crime scene Monday and probably will be today, Barton said.

-- Chris Tisch can be reached at 445-4156 or tisch@sptimes.com .

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