A 93-year-old man charged with murdering his wife allegedly told police he slashed her throat because he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
James Pate told police in Pekin, Illinois, that he and his wife, Cheryl Pate, 80, got into a fight in their car on Tuesday when he struck her — then pulled a knife out of the center console and cut her throat, according to an affidavit obtained by 25 News Now.
James Pate was found covered in blood at the scene, and admitted to cops in an interview that he and Cheryl Pate were planning to get a divorce — and his pent-up anger at her exploded, the docs said.
He told cops he “couldn’t take it anymore,” according to the affidavit. It was not clear how long they had been married.
Cheryl Pate was found with no pulse and was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
An autopsy by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office confirmed she died from multiple sharp, blunt-force injuries “that were incompatible with life and unsurvivable.”
James Pate was charged with first-degree murder, the Pekin Police Department said.
The Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to deny his pretrial release.
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