On the evening of September 13, 2022, the life of Mary Stephanie Guirand, a 36-year-old Black female from Stamford, Connecticut, was tragically cut short. Known affectionately as "Stefani," she was a licensed esthetician, a certified nursing assistant, and a mother. Her life was described as one filled with joy, and she was known for being the life of the party.
That night, at approximately 9:45 p.m., a 911 call was made from a Woodside Green apartment complex.
The caller was Anthony Vines, Guirand's 40-year-old boyfriend, who informed the dispatcher that he had shot his girlfriend. When police arrived, they found Vines outside the apartment building. Inside, they discovered Guirand in the bedroom with a single gunshot wound under her chin; she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Vines claimed the shooting was an accident that occurred during a heated argument over a bill. He alleged that Guirand had attempted to stab him with a kitchen knife, which led him to arm himself in self-defense. A firearm and a kitchen knife were both recovered near Guirand's body. Vines, a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm, was immediately arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
Over the next year, the Stamford Police Department conducted a thorough investigation. Forensic analysis of the evidence revealed inconsistencies with Vines' account of the events. This led to an additional and more severe charge. On October 6, 2023, Anthony Vines was charged with first-degree manslaughter with a firearm in connection with Guirand's death. His total bond was set at $1 million. In July 2024, prosecutors offered Vines a plea deal of 30 years in prison if he pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm. Vines rejected the offer, and his case is now pending trial.
