Photo: Twitter
Matthew Phelps said he killed his wife after taking too much cold medicine one night.
By Emily Blackwood — Written on Oct 23, 2017
New details were released in the case of the North Carolina man who told a 911 dispatcher that he might have killed his wife after taking too much cold medicine.
An autopsy report revealed Lauren Ashley-Nicole Phelps, 29, had 123 stab wounds and cuts on her body, 44 of those were around her face and neck. Some of the cuts were more than four inches deep.
Police believe she was killed with a kitchen knife.
Her husband, 29-year-old aspiring pastor Matthew Phelps, made headlines after he blamed taking too much cold medicine Sept. 1, 2017. He said he woke up to a bloody scene and his wife not breathing.
“I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she’s dead on the floor,” Phelps told the dispatcher. “There’s blood all over me, and there’s a bloody knife on the bed. I think I did it.”
Matthew Phelps then said that he had taken cold medicine before he went to sleep, and he wasn't sure what time it was. “I took more medicine that I should have. I took Coricidin Cough and Cold because I know it can make you feel good and sometimes I can’t sleep at night.” Bayer, the company that makes Coricidin, released a statement saying there is no evidence suggesting the medicine is associated with violent behavior.
When police arrived at their home in northwest Raleigh, Lauren Phelps was found on the floor of their bedroom in a fetal position. She was rushed to the hospital where she later died.
She had 13 stab wounds and 11 cuts on her torso, 16 slashes and one cut on her right arm, and 35 cuts and three stab wounds on her left arm. Her body was also smeared with blood, the autopsy report said. No alcohol was detected, and toxicologists didn't find any pre-existing natural diseases.
The couple had been married for less than a year, and in September, a grand jury found enough probable cause to determine Matthew Phelps had "willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder” his wife. He was charged with first-degree murder and is currently in jail without bail.
Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTango’s Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz).