A 93-year-old man charged with murder allegedly told police that he slashed his wife’s throat because he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
According to an affidavit obtained by 25 News Now, James Pate told police in Pekin, Illinois, that he and his wife, Cheryl Pate, 80, got into a fight in their car on Tuesday and he struck her before pulling a knife from the center console and cutting her throat.
James Pate was discovered covered in blood at the scene and told cops in an interview that he and Cheryl Pate were planning to divorce — and his pent-up anger at her erupted, according to the documents.
He told cops he “couldn’t take it anymore,” according to the affidavit. It was unclear how long they’d been married.
Cheryl Pate was discovered without a pulse and 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.”
The Pekin Police Department has charged James Pate with first-degree murder.
The Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to deny him pretrial release.
