CORALVILLE, Iowa (WKRC) — An Iowa man accused of stabbing his wife to death allegedly told investigators he did it because he wanted to “put her out of her misery,” reports KCRG.
Police were called to the couple’s home in Coralville for the stabbing on the morning of Jan. 16. There, crews found Amber Martin with multiple stab wounds. They attempted lifesaving measures, but Amber died at the scene.
Investigators found a bloodied knife in the kitchen sink, as well as blood smears and bloody clothing. Amber’s husband, 47-year-old James Martin, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
James’ mother told investigators that she visited the couple’s home at 1 a.m. the morning of the murder because her son’s mental health was “spiralling.” She then fell asleep on their couch, but was later woken up by noises in the laundry room. She says she initially thought it was the couple’s cat, but then heard, “Help me. Help me.”
According to court documents, James’ mother says she saw her son stabbing Amber in the laundry room. She rushed in and begged him to stop, placing herself between him and Amber to stop the attack. She then called 911 to report the stabbing.
Court documents allege that James planned the killing hours before he stabbed Amber with a kitchen knife. James reportedly believed the couple was in severe financial distress they wouldn’t be able to recover from and he wanted to “put [Amber] out of her misery.”
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Investigators are examining Martin’s credit card records, along with spending habits and other financial records, to determine the couple’s ability to pay their routine expenses.