A New Zealand woman has been charged in the United States with second-degree murder after her partner, a shearer also from New Zealand, was stabbed to death.

Shearer Andrew Moore was reportedly working at the Taliaferro Ranch in south Lincoln County, near Kemmerer, Wyoming, where his partner Monique Sullivan also worked.

In the early hours of February 20, Sullivan got into an argument with Moore whom she was in a relationship with, court documents said.

They had been heavily drinking and during the argument, Sullivan got into a rage, picked up a knife and stabbed Moore on the side.

He was transported to South Lincoln Medical Centre where he died from his injuries.

Before police arrived at the scene, Sullivan was also taken to the same medical centre due to a self-inflicted knife would to her wrist.

While at the hospital, she stated that she had stabbed Moore and was placed under arrest while at the hospital.

Bond has been set at $500,000 and Sullivan was also required to surrender her passport, SVINews.com reported.

A preliminary hearing has been set for March 6, and if convicted Sullivan faces 20 years to life in prison.

Court documents stated that at 1.02am on the morning of the incident, the Lincoln County Despatch Centre received a report that a man had been stabbed at a County Rd address.

The victim was identified as Andrew Jacob Moore, a citizen of New Zealand, who had been working at the ranch shearing sheep with a crew of sheep shearers who travelled across the United States.

Sullivan was also part of the same crew, the report said.

Investigations found that the pair were in a relationship together and had been heavily drinking on the night of the incident along with other members of their party.

Sullivan reportedly told police that while drinking, the two got into an argument and she went “into a rage”, grabbed a knife off the counter and made stabbing motions towards Moore.

She said Moore was standing closer to her than she had estimated and so she ended up stabbing him.

The court documents also reportedly stated that Sullivan and Moore had not been physically abusive and she was not in fear when she grabbed the knife, she was just angry.

Meanwhile, a close friend Michael Jefferis has started a Givealittle page to help raise funds to bring Moore’s body home.

“My heart sincerely goes out to the Moore family for the loss of their precious son, brother, grandson, uncle, and nephew,” he wrote.

“We need help to bring our mate home.”

Jefferis, who referred to Andrew as “Moorey”, described him as “very much like a brother” and also affectionately known as “Kill” or Anaru.

“For seven years we lived and breathed shearing, touring around the world, working in Scotland, Australia, the USA, and New Zealand. We also competed at many speed shear competitions in Wales, Australia, and New Zealand,” Jefferis said.

“I called him my brother, as do many of our friends, he was definitely the life of the party and had such a heart of gold. Andrew was a very loved person throughout the shearing industry, and I know he will be sorely missed by all of us who knew him.”