Dale Dallia had been released from a 90-day sentence 31 days before Stephanie Birn was killed.
KENOSHA, Wis. — A homicide case against Dale Dallia is drawing attention in Kenosha because court records show he left jail March 25, about one month before police say he killed Stephanie Birn.
Dallia, 42, is accused of fatally stabbing Birn, 37, inside her home April 25 and seriously injuring a 41-year-old man outside. Prosecutors say he faces first-degree intentional homicide, attempted homicide and other charges. The case is built on the crime scene, witness statements, a criminal complaint and Dallia’s recent history in the court system. The release timeline has become part of the public record because Dallia had been sentenced earlier in 2026 and did not serve the full 90 days ordered by the court.
Records cited in local reporting show Dallia was sentenced Feb. 11 after guilty pleas in a case involving third-offense operating while intoxicated and drug possession. A judge ordered him to serve 90 days in jail. He was released March 25 after serving 42 days. The shorter time reflected 22 days of good time credit, 11 days of prior custody credit and 14 days earned through inside work crew. Police say Birn was killed April 25, 31 days after Dallia’s release. The complaint does not accuse jail officials of causing the homicide, but the timeline has become one of the central facts around the case.
Dallia also had a 2024 case involving violence. Court records show he was charged in October with strangulation, battery, disorderly conduct and bail jumping after he allegedly choked a coworker. He later pleaded guilty to battery and disorderly conduct. Those records now sit beside the new allegations, which include another accusation of strangulation. Police say the 41-year-old man who survived the April 25 attack told officers that Dallia tried to choke him during a fight outside Birn’s home. The man said Dallia also gouged at his eyes and told him, “I’m going to kill you.”
The April 25 response began when officers were sent to the area of 13th Avenue and 57th Street for a fight between two men. A caller reported that one person was badly hurt and lying on the ground. When officers arrived, they saw Dallia trying to leave the area and detained him. They found the other man with serious injuries and gave aid until fire crews arrived. Police later entered the home after learning there could be another victim inside. Birn was found unconscious and dying. The complaint says she had been stabbed 16 times and that a bent steak knife was found in the kitchen sink.
The surviving man gave investigators a timeline that suggested he was drawn to the home after the first attack had already happened. He said he and Birn had been in a romantic relationship and that she had stayed at his house the night before. The next day, he said, he received a text from Birn’s phone asking him to come over. When he reached the house, he noticed the front door had been kicked in and the trim had come loose. He said he was then hit with a frying pan on the porch. Police have not said whether they believe Birn sent the text herself.
The complaint also describes alleged statements by Dallia before and after the attack. A witness told police they dropped him off at Birn’s home and believed he was intoxicated. The witness said Dallia pounded on the door while yelling for it to be opened and saying he was going to kill someone. Police say officers later found blood on Dallia’s hands, arms, face and shirt. The complaint says officers described human flesh on his clothing and hands. After Dallia was placed in a squad car, he allegedly laughed after hearing officers discuss Birn’s condition and said, “I don’t care about you.”
Investigators also cited a Facebook post that police say appeared hours before the stabbing. Dallia allegedly wrote, “If you’re one of my true thug friends, who would help me get rid of a body?” The complaint does not say whether that post named Birn or the surviving man. It became part of the charging record because prosecutors are using the statement to frame what they say happened later that day. A roommate told police Dallia had talked about Birn two weeks earlier and said he believed she had cheated on him. The roommate said Dallia and Birn had dated and lived together.
Friends of Birn have described a relationship they believed she was trying to leave. Giselle Gibson, one of Birn’s closest friends, told local television that Birn “was a very, very sweet person” and “had a big heart.” Gibson said Birn had tried to get away from Dallia but struggled. Another friend, Karyn Pedraza, said Birn loved intensely and would do anything for others. Local reports said Birn was the mother of an 11-year-old boy. Those accounts give the court file a personal frame, but prosecutors will have to prove the criminal counts through evidence and witness testimony.
The court case has moved quickly from arrest to a high bond. A court commissioner set Dallia’s cash bond at $2 million after prosecutors described the fatal stabbing and the attack on the second victim. Local reporting said the bond reflected the severity of the allegations and concerns about community safety. Dallia remained behind bars after the hearing. His next scheduled step was a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. May 12. At that hearing, a judge would consider whether prosecutors had probable cause to keep the felony case moving forward.
The release issue may continue to follow the case, but the criminal complaint centers on the events at Birn’s home. It alleges a forced entry, a knife attack, a second assault and statements showing hostility toward both victims. Defense filings, plea decisions and future hearings could change the shape of the case. As of the latest reports, the public record did not show a trial date. Dallia is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Author note: Last updated May 26, 2026.