BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — An Amherst man who is accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend is facing manslaughter charges.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office announced that 53-year-old Kirk F. Bielanin was arraigned Monday in Erie County Court on an indictment charging him with one count of first-degree manslaughter and one count of second-degree manslaughter.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 7 News has chosen to use Bielanin's mugshot due to the severity of the charges he faces. You can read our full mugshot policy here.
According to the district attorney's office, between the late evening hours of May 30 and the early morning hours of May 31 Bielanin allegedly stabbed his girlfriend, 60-year-old Diane Bird, once in the chest while inside Bird's home on Glen Oak Drive in Amherst. Bird died at the scene.
Bielanin is scheduled to return on July 11 for a pre-trial conference and remains held without bail. If convicted of the highest charge, he faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
