(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
Tazewell County prosecutors say a 93-year-old man fatally cut his 80-year-old wife’s throat after he “just couldn’t take it anymore” amid an argument on Tuesday in Pekin.
Cheryl Pate, 80, of Pekin, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria after she was stabbed Tuesday in the 1800 block of South 14th Street in Pekin. The Peoria County Coroner’s Office identified her Wednesday, saying that she had multiple sharp force injuries that led to her death.
Later Wednesday afternoon, James E. Pate, 93, was officially charged with two counts of first-degree murder in his wife’s death. According to an affidavit released by the Circuit Clerk’s office, Pekin police responded to the 1800 block of South 14th Street on Tuesday and found Cheryl Pate’s body lying on the pavement next to a car parked in a long driveway.
Officers found her covered in blood from the neck down, with a laceration on the front of the neck, according to the affidavit. She was transported to OSF, where she was pronounced dead.
During the investigation, police said James Pate appeared to have a significant amount of blood on him and admitted to cutting his wife’s throat. He told detectives that he and Cheryl had been planning on filing for divorce, saying that he had a lot of pent up anger and “couldn’t take it anymore.”
James Pate said that he and his wife had been in an argument inside the vehicle and he parked the car before the stabbing. He also told officers Cheryl Pate lunged at him as if to scratch his face, so he pulled a knife out of the vehicle’s center console of the car and cut her throat, according to the court document. He was taken into custody shortly thereafter.
The Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to deny James Pate pre-trial release Wednesday, saying that he would pose a threat to the safety of the community.
James Pate is being held at the Tazewell County Jail. The Pekin Police Department and Illinois State Police are continuing to investigate Cheryl Pate’s death.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Affidavit: Pekin man, 93, cut throat of 80-year-old wife amid argument
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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