A 93-year-old man has been charged with murdering his wife after allegedly slashing her throat during a violent altercation.
He reportedly told police he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
According to an affidavit, James Pate told officers in Pekin, Illinois, that he and his wife, Cheryl Pate, 80, were arguing in their car on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
That was when he struck her and retrieved a knife from the center console, using it to cut her throat.
Police found James Pate at the scene covered in blood.
During an interview, he allegedly admitted that the couple had been planning to divorce, but said his pent-up anger boiled over.
He repeated that he “couldn’t take it anymore,” the affidavit states.
Cheryl Pate was found unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
An autopsy conducted by the Peoria County Coroner’s Office confirmed she died from multiple sharp and blunt-force injuries described as “incompatible with life and unsurvivable.”
Pate has been charged with first-degree murder, according to the Pekin Police Department.
The Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to deny him pretrial release.
It remains unclear how long the couple had been married.
