LEONARDTOWN, Md. — A Lexington Park woman who fatally struck her longtime partner with an SUV last fall was sentenced Tuesday, June 17, 2025, to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in St. Mary’s County Circuit Court.
Simone Marie Stewart, 51, entered the plea during a scheduled hearing before Judge Joseph Michael Stanalonis, avoiding a jury trial that had been set to begin in July. Stewart was sentenced to 40 years in the Department of Corrections, with all but 30 years suspended. She will also serve five years of supervised probation upon release.
The case stems from an Oct. 7, 2024 incident in which Stewart struck 53-year-old Demeatrum Scarborough with a Chevrolet Suburban during what investigators described as a domestic dispute. Troopers from the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack responded to Spring Valley Drive in Lexington Park, where they found Scarborough critically injured. He was flown to MedStar Washington Hospital Center and later died.
State police homicide investigators said Stewart and Scarborough were in a relationship and were allegedly involved in an altercation at the time of the incident. Stewart was arrested the next day and initially faced multiple charges, including first-degree assault, homicide by motor vehicle, and driving under the influence.
Court records show a series of hearings and motion proceedings from November through the spring, with a five-day jury trial originally scheduled for mid-April and later postponed. The final plea was entered on June 17, and with the case resolved, all remaining court dates—including a backup trial docket in July—were canceled.
The sentence closes a months-long legal process that saw both scheduled trials and motion hearings reset as attorneys negotiated a resolution. Prosecutors dropped the additional charges in exchange for Stewart’s guilty plea to the murder count.
Stewart remains in state custody and began serving her sentence immediately.
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A tragic story and a chilling reminder of how uncontrolled emotions can spiral into irreversible consequences. Love should never end like this.