A Texas woman charged with stabbing her boyfriend was upset about being woken up for a meal, an investigator testified Tuesday.

Witnesses said Deanna Collette McCreery, 38, stabbed her boyfriend in the back at their Casper Mountain campsite, Natrona County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Sellers said during McCreery's preliminary hearing.

At the hearing's conclusion, Natrona County Circuit Judge Steven Brown ruled the criminal case against McCreery should move forward.

McCreery is charged with aggravated assault in connection with the stabbing of her boyfriend, Raymond Porterfield. The couple had dated off and on for eight years and most recently got back together in January.

Sheriff's deputies arrested her July 6 after learning that a man had been stabbed at the Tower Hill campground on Casper Mountain.

Deputies didn't find anyone at the campsite, but while returning to Casper, they were told that Porterfield was at Wyoming Medical Center. He'd been stabbed once in the back, to the right of his spine. The knife punctured his lung.

Porterfield initially told investigators that a man named "Johnny," whom he'd met that day, had stabbed him. However, he couldn't explain why the man had stabbed him, Sellers testified.

Under further questioning, Porterfield told investigators he didn't want to get McCreery in trouble, but that she had stabbed him.

The couple apparently met another couple at grocery store because both had cars with Texas license plates. All four decided to have a picnic of Casper Mountain. They were drinking vodka and beer and cooking burgers and bratwurst.

At some point, Porterfield woke up McCreery to tell her the meal was ready. She became upset and started honking the truck's horn prior to the stabbing, Sellers said.

Afterward, she apparently drove him to the hospital.

Investigators recovered two knives from the couple's vehicle, but neither one matched the description of the steak knife that was allegedly used in the stabbing. Authorities haven't found that knife.

Under cross examination, Sellers said Porterfield told authorities McCreery is bipolar.

McCreery, who appeared in court wearing a blue prison uniform, remained held Tuesday in lieu of $10,000.

Reach crime reporter Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.