Boyfriend accused of stabbing defense tech engineer 15 times denied bond after 911 call played in court
A Florida man is accused of stabbing his girlfriend 15 times inside their home before later admitting to killing the defense technology engineer in a recorded 911 call played in court, according to local reports.
Kyle Sanchez, 35, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder with a weapon in the death of his girlfriend, Amanda Roark, 37, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies were called just after 3 p.m. June 19 to a home on Tuscan Loon Drive in the Palm River area after a 911 call reported an emergency at the residence, authorities said.
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When deputies arrived, they found Roark dead with upper-body trauma. Sanchez, who was also at the home, was taken to Tampa General Hospital with minor injuries and was listed in stable condition, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives later determined Sanchez killed Roark while the two were inside the home together, according to authorities.
FOX 13 Tampa reported that Sanchez is accused of stabbing Roark 15 times. During a pretrial detention hearing, prosecutors played Sanchez’s 911 call, in which he told a dispatcher, "I murdered my girlfriend."
After hearing arguments from both sides, the judge denied Sanchez bond. He will remain in custody as the first-degree murder case moves forward.
Authorities have not released a motive or additional details about what led up to the fatal attack.
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Roark worked at SOFWERX, a Tampa-based technology organization that describes itself as "an innovation platform for the United States Special Operations Command," which remembered her as a cherished teammate and "a light in the Tampa community."
"We are heartbroken by the loss of our Teammate Amanda Roark," SOFWERX said in a statement. "Amanda was a cherished member of the SOFWERX family and a light in the Tampa community. Her warmth, her dedication, and the genuine care she brought to everyone around her made a lasting impact that words cannot fully capture."
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Roark’s college friend, Talia Landman, told FOX 13 that Roark was "an absolute light" who welcomed everyone with a "gigantic smile."
"She was taken from us in such a horrific, tragic, and just, I mean, terrible, scary way," Landman told the station.
Landman said Roark was a talented engineer who mentored young women pursuing careers in math, technology and engineering.
"He didn’t just kill or murder his girlfriend. He took away Amanda Roark," Landman said. "He took her life as this woman who had so much going for her."
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The sheriff’s office said the case appeared to be domestic-related.