Stabbed Her 17 Times, Drove Over Her: How Kerala Man Killed Wife In The US
The plea deal spared him from the possibility of a death sentence, the report said. The couple were natives of Kerala.
An Indian man has been handed a life imprisonment sentence for the horrific murder of his wife in 2020, which occurred in the parking lot of the hospital where she worked as a nurse.
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What happened?
He has been charged for fatally stabbing his 26-year-old wife 17 times and then driving over her body before leaving the scene.
Philip Mathew on Friday pleaded no contest to the first-degree murder of Merin Joy, his wife, The Sun Sentinel newspaper reported.
The plea deal spared him from the possibility of a death sentence, the report said. The couple were natives of Kerala.
Where and when?
The incident happened in 2020 in the parking lot of Broward Health Coral Springs Hospital in Florida, where Joy was working as a nurse. He has now been sentenced to life in prison in the US state of Florida on Friday.
Why?
He brutally killed Joy as she wanted an escape from the abusive relationship with him.
How?
In 2020, Joy, 26, then a nurse at Broward Health Coral Springs, was stabbed 17 times by her husband.
Mathew blocked Joy's car with his vehicle in the parking lot of the hospital. He then slashed her repeatedly and drove over her body on the ground before running away.
According to one of Joy's coworkers, Mathew drove over her "like she was a speed bump," and when they went to her aid, Joy could only wail to them over and over, saying "I have a baby."
Joy revealed her attacker's identity before succumbing to her injuries, which led to Mathew's arrest.
Horrible tragedy in South Florida. Reading this news article made me sick to my stomach.
¡ª Abin Alex (@alex_abin) July 29, 2020
Merin Joy did NOT deserve to die like this.
May her soul Rest In Peace. https://t.co/KOQl91a1PZ
Who decided to waive his death penalty and why?
After Mathew pleaded no contest to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, he was immediately sentenced to life in state prison with no possibility of release, plus a maximum of five years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The decision was made to waive the death penalty because of the certainty of the life sentence and because the defendant was giving up his right to appeal, said Paula McMahon, spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office.
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