After police say she stabbed her husband more than 140 times, a 61-year-old Florida woman has been charged with first-degree murder.
According to court documents obtained by CNN affiliate WPTV, Joan Burke, who is being jailed without bond, appeared before a Palm Beach County judge by video conference on Sunday, February 20.
Officers from Palm Springs Police arrived to Burke’s home on the evening of February 11 after getting a call from a guy claiming to be the suspect’s son, according to an incident report.
The caller stated that when he returned home from work, he noticed his stepfather, Melvin Weller, 62, lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. The caller “paused for many seconds and then said his mother Joan Burke was present” when the 911 operator inquired if anybody else was at home at the time, according to the report.
According to the report, cops discovered the victim in a big pool of blood that covered more than half of the kitchen floor when they arrived. A mop, a broom, and other cleaning utensils were also discovered near the body.
The guy, who seemed to be dead, had multiple stab wounds and lacerations on his body, according to police. Blood splatters and streaks were discovered on the kitchen’s walls, cupboards, and counters. According to authorities, a couple of knives and a meat cleaver were discovered in the kitchen sink.
Officers spotted Burke laying in a bed in the master bedroom, conscious and attentive but silent, during a search of the house, according to the report. She was taken to a local hospital for assessment.
According to the report, the man had more than 140 stab wounds and a skull fracture as a result of a meat cleaver hit to the head.
According to the article, police were able to discover a garbage bag containing a blood-stained nightgown belonging to the suspect and a cellphone that detectives believe belonged to the victim after a search warrant issued on the suspect’s residence. Burke’s hands were also found to have lacerations, according to police.
The incident’s cause is yet unknown. The victim’s family stated that he was physically impaired when he died.